Devils Like To Play
by HateWeasel
Summary: It's the sequel to "Devils Like To Dance" and the demonic duo is back in action yet again, with the rest of the gang in the 21st century! Ciel and Alois are still up to their usual hijinks, still solving murder and doing away with the supernatural pests that plague London, all while maintaining a semi-normal relationship; for a pair of demons, at least...
1. Start With A BANG!

London, United Kingdom. Orange clouds hung in the sky, fading to bluish black as the sun began to set over the horizon. The city streets were starting to clear as people started to go home to sleep peacefully for the night. They would have succeeded, too, had it not been for a commotion caused by a certain duo.

Two vehicles speeded down the thankfully barren streets, pacing each other, the sides occasionally scraping against each other as they tried to force the other off the road. One of them was a black Rolls Royce Phantom, and the other, your run-of-the-mill Cadillac.

In the Cadillac were four men of a questionable nature, and in the other, two young men clad in black. The driver was blonde with icy blue eyes and a cat-like face. His name was Jim Macken; or, as he prefers to be known: "_Alois Trancy_". The man next to him in the passenger seat was what could only be described as a "bluenette" with a singular, sapphire eye. The other was covered with an eyepatch. His name was Ciel Phantomhive and in this ruckus, he was making an attempt to talk on the phone while his partner worked the wheel.

"Hello, is this _Clos Maggiore?"_ he asked, covering one ear with his hand while holding his cell phone up to the other. "I have a reservation for tonight at six, but it looks like I've had a change in plans and need to cancel."

He paused for a moment before looking to the lad next to him and asking: "Did you make the reservations under _'Macken'_ or '_Trancy'?"_

"_Trancy!"_ Alois replied, turning the wheel and nudging their attacker's car with his own. Ciel nodded and went back to talking on the phone.

"It's under the name '_Trancy_'." He said. "Do what? I'm sorry, I'm in the car, right now."

Suddenly, the blonde's eyes widened as he looked at the other car. Machine guns. The men in the other car had machine guns! He leaned his head out the window and placed his hand on the door of the Cadillac. He grit his teeth and his eyes glowed crimson as he pushed hard against the other vehicle and caused them both to separate.

The men in the Cadillac opened fire on the Rolls Royce, riddling its side with bullets and shattering its windows. Angrily, the blonde menace took his gun out of his coat with his right hand while keeping his left on the wheel. He started firing back, blowing out the windows on the other car.

"_Ow!"_ he shouted. "Ciel! I could use a hand, here!" With that, the bluenette ended his call and placed his phone in his pocket.

"Aim for the wheels." The bluenette instructed. "The front one, specifically."

"On it." Alois replied, aiming his gun. He pulled the trigger, completely blowing out the front tire and making the driver of the other car lose control of his vehicle. The four men in the Cadillac crashed into a pole, completely bending it as well as the front of their car. The blonde grinned.

"Yes!" he said.

"Jim." Called the bluenette.

"You see that shit?! Totally wrecked it!"

"_Jim_."

"It almost flipped!"

"_Jim, for the love of God, keep your eyes on the ro-!"_

_**CRASH!**_

Alas, while indulging in his victory, the Macken boy ended up tasting the bitterness of defeat. The Rolls Royce had veered off the road and crashed into a pole as well, completely knocking it over and hoisting the front of the car off the ground. Both boys sat for a moment, staring straight ahead before the Phantomhive turned to the man in the driver's seat. The blond tapped his finger on the steering wheel and avoided eye-contact, nodding slightly to himself.

"_Yep."_ He said finally. "Sebastian's going to kill me, isn't he?"

"No, I won't let him do that." Ciel answered. "You may be getting some passive-aggression for a while, though."

Alois opened his mouth to reply, but closed it as a bullet whizzed by the car. Quickly, he opened the door and crawled out, helping the bluenette crawl over from his side, which was currently being bombarded with ammunition. The two took shelter behind the wrecked Rolls Royce as the poor car was turned to Swiss cheese by machine guns.

"Why is it that whenever I try to take you out on a date, this sort of thing always happens?" asked the blond menace with a sigh. His beau had been returned home from the Black Annis mishap for three weeks, and he had worked rather hard to plan this outing for the two of them. Ciel only smiled.

"I don't know, but _you're the best date-planner ever._" The bluenette said, pulling his own gun out of its holster.

"As long as you're having fun, I guess." Alois replied. "Think we can continue this _after _we stop getting shot at?"

"Of course. Then after the police show up, the evening is ours." Answered Ciel, leaning in to peck the other man on the cheek. "Fire when ready, but don't kill them. We still need them for the investigation."

"Aim for the knees?"

"Yes." The Phantomhive stated, standing up during a gap in their enemies' fire while they reloaded. His beau did the same.

"Whoever gets the most pays for dinner." The blond stated.

"There's only four of them…"

"Go!" Alois said without warning, firing off four shots. Each one struck an assailant in the knee each, forcing them to drop their weapons and fall to the ground. He looked back at the other gentleman with a smirk.

"Now I'm paying, and you can't argue with me!" He said, poking the bluenette's shoulder. His smile faded, however, when the side mirror of the car fell off, reminding him of the damages.

"I… uh_… I can cover that, too_…" he added, bashfully scratching the back of his neck.

"Don't worry about it. It's insured." Ciel stated. "I sort of can't wait to see the look on Sebastian's face when he finds out, though."

"Oh, God, _I killed his baby_…" the Macken said, running his hands through his hair while examining the damage. "I practically _begged_ him to use it since the Mercedes hasn't been replaced…"

"That's what makes it even funnier, though. This certainly isn't the first car of ours to be wrecked, and it certainly won't be the last. It would appear that we'll be using Taxi services quite a bit, now, though."

"I can cover the bill for that, too…"

"What is with you and insisting on paying for things?" the Phantomhive asked with a laugh as he walked around the car and out into the street. The other man wrapped both arms around the bluenette's as he walked, resting his head on his shoulder.

"I want to spoil you sometimes, is all…" he said with a small pout. "You shouldn't have to pay for everything, you know…"

"I really don't mind." Ciel replied.

"But it makes you seem like you're my '_sugar daddy'_ or something. That's really gross…"

"Then don't think of it that way." He stated, kicking a gun away from one of the injured men with his foot. He looked down and examined the man. "This this is our guy?"

"Looks like the guy in the picture Bailey gave us." Replied the blonde. "Drug dealing, human trafficking… He's scum, Ciel. I know scum when I see it."

"It was awfully nice of him to just drop by, like this." The bluenette jested. "It makes our job so much easier."

"He really should have called ahead, though." Alois quipped. "It's awfully rude to just pop in uninvited, you know."

"Indeed." The Phantomhive stated, reaching into his pocket with his free hand and pulling out his phone. "The police have probably been called already, from all the commotion we caused. Want me to ask Detective Bailey to pick us up a pizza on his way over?"

_ "Only if there are breadsticks involved."_

The date continued with the two sitting on the roof of the crashed Rolls Royce, eating pizza and watching criminals get put in ambulances. It wasn't exactly what Alois had in mind, but in a way, Ciel was right, this was better than eating at a fancy restaurant like ordinary people.

They _weren't_ ordinary people. They were demons. This was their territory, and this is how they lived happily lived their lives; being madly in love and having absurd adventures.

* * *

**A/N:_ Why, hello, again... Fancy meeting you, here..._  
**

**So, here's the first chapter to the sequel of _Devil's Like To Dance_, and if you haven't read that yet, but clicked on this and liked it, I suggest starting there, first, or else you're gonna be hella confused...**

**It's 453 chapters long, but hey, it's sorta not-sucky?**

**Eh, read the reviews for it. Maybe they can convince you better than I can...So, start there, first, m'kay?  
**

**...**

_**Are they gone?**_

**Alright, 'sup, Duckies, my buddies, my pals, my lovely, darling readers who are so kind enough to put up with my sorry ass for a shit-ton of chapters~!**

**Here's that sequel I promised you! I work fast, man. You know this...**

**I'm back; right where we left off, almost. Hopefully, this will be just as good as the original, if not better!**

**Here's to another long-ass fic, hopefully. **

**Ooh, maybe we'll make it up to chapter 666. How perfect would that be?**

**So, as per usual, _until the next chapter, my duckies~!_**


	2. Back2Skool

Alois was in trouble when they returned from their outing without the Rolls Royce. Even though Sebastian knew that it wasn't the blonde's fault, he still held a certain amount of malice hidden beneath the surface of his features as he wore a faux-smile. The man was still sulking the next day when the Macken lad went to school the next day, and the day after that, and even the day after _that_. That car was the butler's favourite. As far as Alois knew, he liked cats, and he liked the Rolls Royce. They seemed to be the two things in this mortal world that brought the man immense happiness.

Still, life had to go on, and Alois found himself back to school at King's College. He had made his way there via taxi, as he didn't really want to take the metro by himself. The whole concept of an underground train was still so bizarre to him. There were still many things about the 21st century that were strange to him. Why, just recently, the bluenette laughed at him when he conveyed confusion over the actions of some of the women and occasionally a man or two in his classes. They would ask him if he wanted to "go out for drinks", which he met with much confusion. Alois still couldn't fathom as to why asking someone if they wanted to drink what he understood to be "piss-water" with them as being flirtatious. It was embarrassing how his beau laughed at him, and even more embarrassing that he still couldn't think of an appropriate way to respond.

The blonde menace didn't understand many things about the people at college. They were very strange. They dressed oddly and spoke differently. There was a lot of pseudo-depth in the way that quite of few people spoke, but sometimes, he could also smell drugs on them, so he didn't pay them much mind. He was, however, tempted to flash his badge at them just to frighten them. Most of the time, though, it seemed as though they simply took a psychology class and thought they understood the way people think. It made the blonde shake his head. They didn't know anything about how people really were at all.

For now, Alois decided that it was best to keep his detective status a secret. It wasn't really important to anyone but his instructors, who needed reasons for why he was occasionally absent, so there wasn't any point in making it known. Then again, it might earn him more points in his criminal justice classes. The thought made a smirk crawl across his face. This would be too easy. It faded, however, when another thought entered his head.

Ciel had a doctorate in criminal justice, didn't he? That means that if he wanted to, the Phantomhive could have actually been one of Alois' instructors. The blonde almost had to stop walking as a blush formed on his face from the idea. Unfortunately, he imagined it. He loved it when the bluenette acted serious. Quickly, Alois shook his head in an effort to escape the other, somewhat lewd thoughts that almost followed. How embarrassing...

The lad almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He turned, about to take a fighter's stance, only to see a familiar face. A sigh escaped his lips as he registered that it was only Daniel Westley.

Daniel wore jeans and a hoodie with the school's logo on it. His eyes widened as he saw the blonde prepare to attack, and gripped the strap of his backpack tightly. Once Alois figure out it was him, he furrowed his brow.

"What the hell?!" demanded the Westley lad. "I called out to you like, five times! How did you not see me coming?!"

"Oh… uh…" Alois replied, trying not to think back to his previous thoughts while in the presence of the other man. "Sorry, _my mind was wandering a bit_…"

"What, did you score on your date?" Daniel asked.

"No! We didn't do anything!" the blonde bashfully answered. We still haven't done anything since Black Annis. Why is that always your first thought?"

Daniel opened his mouth to say something, but closed it while his cheeks started to turn pink. He looked at the ground and asked: "Hey, uh… _can I ask you something kinda personal_?" causing the blonde to arch an eyebrow.

"Sure. Lay it on me." Alois said, waiting for the other boy to start. There was a pause before the Westley finally spoke.

"Uhm… how… _how did you know that you found Ciel_… uh… y'know…" he began, unable to bring himself to say it.

"_Attractive?"_ the blonde asked, filling in the blank for his friend.

"Uh, yeah…" Daniel said. He had his own reasons for asking, but was unaware that the Macken was somewhat knowing of them. In fact, he didn't know that the rest of their little circle of friends had their own suspicions as well; everyone but the man's flatmate, Kristopherson, that is. Alois tried his best not to smile at the question, and for the most part, he was succeeding.

"Well… let's see…" he said, thinking back. It had been a long time since he was first brought back into this modern world, and subsequently, a long time since he first developed feelings for his beau.

"I guess I started noticing stuff about his personality, first." He began. "Like, _'oh, it's cute when he does this!'_. I think it actually started out as '_I like when he does _this', but then that turned into '_cute',_ somehow.

"Then, I just kinda started noticing stuff about his appearance, y'know?" continued the blonde, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's when I _really_ started getting confused. I felt really gross because fancying boys has always been not only frowned upon, but it also really grossed me out because of you-know-what. Still, he's just so cute! He's got a handsome face, pretty eyes, a calming voice…" he paused to smirk at the other boy, unable to contain himself anymore.

"…_A cute butt_." He concluded, much to the distain of the Westley lad. To his surprise, instead of yelling, Daniel's face simply heated up and flushed bright red. Because of this, the blonde simply stood while wearing a confused expression as he stared at the other man.

"I… I-I…" Daniel began, unable to find his words. _"I don't know what to do with this!" _

"Huh?" Alois asked, tilting his head to the side. "Is it about that thing with Kris?" He watched the Westley tense up at the suggestion, and tried to contain his amusement.

"_N-no!"_ Daniel insisted. _"It has nothing to do with that!"_

"Relax, mate, _so you fancy Kris_, big deal…"

"_I do __**not!**_"

"You_ kissed_ him…"

"I was out of it!"

"Okay, Dan. _Whatever's clever_." Alois said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "I'll see ya 'round. I don't have any more classes today, so I'm going home to my beautiful wife."

"I thought_ you_ were the wife?" Daniel said snidely as the blonde walked off. Alois turned around and walked backwards for a moment.

"Not _always!" _he declared before facing forward again. He headed toward the front gates and took out his cell phone in order to call a cab, but to his surprise, there was someone already waiting for him.

Ciel stood leaning against the pillar that held up the sign with the school's name on it, dressed in an all-black suit. Even though the sight was normal to Alois, he noticed a few people staring at the man. When he thought about it from an outsider's perspective, he seemed like quite the shady character, with his eyepatch and semi-permanent scowl.

Still, a smile graced the blonde's face as he happily trotted over to his beau. Despite his nature, Alois looked practically normal, as he wasn't dressed for work at the moment. He wore a purple T-shirt with another, lighter, black shirt with a collar over it, a pair of green pants with lots of pockets, and tennis shoes. While his boyfriend looked like he was a member of the mafia, he looked like he belonged in a fraternity.

Even with this, the Phantomhive's bored face lit up when he saw the blonde heading his way. For some reason Alois imagined that if his tail was out, it would be wagging. A police dog really did suit the bluenette, after all. Once reaching the bluenette, he wrapped his arms around the other man's waist and kissed him on the cheek.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I didn't know stalking was your style."

"Oh, come now, that hurts my feelings." The Phantomhive jested. "I wasn't '_stalking'_ you, I was nearby and thought I'd pick you up, but, if you don't like it, I'll never surprise you at school again."

"No! Surprise me!" whined the menace. "All the time! But what were you doing 'nearby'? And did you take a cab, here, or…?"

"I was handing in my report from that gang incident." Replied the bluenette. "E-mail wasn't working, so I had to do it personally. I had Bailey Junior drop me off."

"So you show up to my school in a cop car, dressed like that?" the blonde asked. "What are you, a secret agent?"

"Well, technically, _yes_, and so are you. Wait, what do you mean, _'dressed like that'?"_

"You stick out like a sore thumb." Alois giggled. "It's probably the eyepatch, though. I bet you could just pass off the contract as one of those fancy coloured-contacts or something."

"I thought of that before, too." Ciel stated, somewhat bashfully. "It just didn't feel right without the eyepatch…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Besides, I like being one of the only ones to see you without it. It's like you and the '_Jim_' thing."

"Only you _asked_ me to call you that." The Phantomhive grinned, causing his boyfriend to blush. He put his hands on the sides of the blonde's head. "I wonder why? Does it make you happy to hear me say it?"

"Sh-shut up!" protested Alois. As always, the Phantomhive saw right through him. The watchdog's grin only widened as the hue of the other man's face darkened.

"You're so cute…"

"_You're an ass!"_

* * *

**A/N: Ah, hullo, hullo. Here is chapter two...  
**

**I'm trying to figure out how to start over again, so bear with me. It feels like we're off to a bit of a rocky start. What is even happening, here?**

**Who knows? I just wanna write a bunch of cute Cielois moments because of all of the horrible things I wrote in the last "Devils Like To"... Gotta get it out of my system, y'know?**

**Then MURDER.**

**I think we'll be going back to the system where I don't exactly plan everything out right away. That's always super-fun. Like, "fun-fun", not "I'm-gunna-crush-yer-souls" kind of "fun". **

**Oh, and if you guys wanna keep doing the "Character Shet" thing from last time, just send some shit this way.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	3. The Fault in Daniel Westley

I'm so tired. I shouldn't have made us all go try and help save Ciel. We only got in the way, and everyone got hurt, even me.

The only one who seems to be doing okay is Travis, who just took a few days off and then went back to school. In fact, he seems to be doing fairly well. He talks more, and does more stuff. It's like a switch was hit, or something, and that he's all of a suddenly outgoing.

It's nice, because as for the rest of us, it's hard to even get out of bed. Well, Preston really can't get out of bed, right now. He still hasn't woken up yet. It's been weeks since we were at the castle, and he's still at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. undergoing some kind of treatment. I have no idea what they're doing to him. They won't even let us see him. Travis has been kind of keeping us all together and helping us out. Things have changed, and not in a good way, really.

It's hard to go home after school. Kristopherson's there, and things haven't been going to well since I… had that little lapse of judgment. I hurt him. I hurt him really bad. What's worse is that he blames himself for what happened to Preston. He thinks that because Preston was protecting him, that it's his fault. It isn't. It's _mine_. None of them should have been there, but I made them. It's my fault. All of it.

What happened to Preston and how depressed Kris is? That's my fault. Preston won't wake up, and Kristopherson can't even bring himself to fix his appearance anymore. He doesn't put any effort into his outfits anymore, and he's letting his stubble grow in. He won't even bleach his hair. I don't know what to do about that. It hurts to watch, and it hurts to be the cause of it. I want to tell him that it wasn't his fault and help him, but… I'm too scared to even talk to him anymore.

I don't know where to even start. I… I took his first kiss from him and then kinda rejected him, after all. I'd be pretty upset about that too, even if I didn't like the person. I've been thinking about it, though, like, how he reacted and stuff. He looked like he wanted to cry. I don't think I'd cry about something like that unless… well, unless I actually kinda _liked_ the person. Kris wouldn't, either, but he did. It makes me wonder if maybe… if maybe Kris had feelings for me at some point…

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those guys who think gay blokes are like, thirsting after every guy they meet, but could that have been it? Maybe I totally put him in the friendzone and didn't even know it? I'm really not good at picking up on stuff like that, not even with Anna. That's a tricky situation to be in, if that's true; having a crush on your guy friend who's dating your sister, and he kisses you without really meaning it. I don't think I could've done that, but knowing Kris, he probably could. Even with his prissy attitude, he's one of the toughest guys I know. Well, toughest _humans_.

Wait, I don't even know if that's true. I'm kind of getting ahead of myself, aren't I? I dunno, it's like the thought of him liking me makes me kind of… happy, I guess? I don't really know why. I mean, Kris is really attractive and all, but he's still a guy, and I don't know if I could… y'know… be with him in that sort of way? There's no way, there's no way... Besides, my parents would kill me if I did. I just can't like guys.

It's been bothering me, though. When I see Kris all upset like this, I just want to give him a hug, or something. I really want him to smile in a way that's not forced. I wanted to ask Alois about it, but I ended up asking him something weird, instead. Him and Ciel are just so happy together. I'm kinda jealous.

When I got back to the flat, Kris was sitting on the couch watching TV in shorts and a T-shirt. His hair was a mess, and I could tell that he didn't go to school again today. He's been skipping a lot, lately, and it makes me kind of mad. He wanted to become a designer more than anything, didn't he? Shouldn't he be putting more effort into it? He did at the beginning, but then… then Black Annis happened… I guess this is my fault, too… His passion to make clothes is even gone… _It's all my fault_…

We don't talk much. I usually go to my room and do whatever when I get back from school. When I need to do something, I just sorta sneak around like I'm going to get in trouble if I'm caught. We were best friends, but now we're _this._ I don't know why he hasn't asked me to leave already. I want to ask if that's what he wants, but the way he looks at me when I walk in the door is just… I don't think I should leave him alone.

* * *

**A/N: Hey... Daniel makes me sad...  
**

**There were lots of questions about how Dan was doing, or what he was feeling, so I was like "Well, why not have him tell ya?" **

**It's a bit more complicated than what could be fit in "character shet" y'know? I still don't think I got it well, but then again, he's really, really confused about everything.**

**Anyways, questions for moi?"**

_**"Are you hype for Book of Circus? Damn, I just felt the rush when I saw the preview. And my favorite voice actor voicing Joker. Ahh" by bluejellyfishOuO**_

**_YES._ Ciel is adorbs and I want to squish him, the animation is gorgeous, and I can already tell that I'm probably going to cry. I'm _feeling_ and really don't know what to do, yo... I _don't_ fangirl about things and I can't deal with this...**

_**Can't wait to see Ciel scream about touching a boob.**_

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

**_CHARACTER SHET_  
**

_Question:_**_ "__So which classes is Alois taking, and who are the professors for those classes?"_**_ by Honeycloud of RiverClan  
_

_Alois' Answer:__"I can only be part-time, because of work, but I'm taking World Civilizations with Professor Kidsworth, College Math with Mister Robinson, and Intro to Biology with Doctor Greggs. It's all just SO exciting..." _

_0000000000_

_Question: **"for Ciel, Alois, and Sir Integra "How do you all view each other after the Black Annis incident? How did you view each other before?"** by KuroshitsujiLover22_

_Ciel's Answer:__"I was still a bit on the fence about Integra, I'll admit. I liked her a lot more than I did, before, but we still weren't, and sort of aren't 'friendly'. She did take really good care of Jim, and helped him when I couldn't, so I owe her. She's... strangely kind. I still love Jim, and I just want to spend time with him. I feel like I need to make up for my absence, and because I couldn't help him against Metus..." _

_Alois' Answer:__"Integra's really nice, and is a lot more playful than I thought. I was kind of intimidated by her before, but now she's kind of... I don't want to say 'like a mum', because tht's both untrue and totally weird and creepy, but I feel like I can come to her for things that I can't with Sebastian. As Ciel, I stil love him to death, and it's so cute how he's being all clingy, lately, but I'm a little worried. We haven't, you know, fooled around any since he's gotten back. I know he still loves me, but I wonder if something happened to him..."  
_

_Integra's Answer:__"Both of them are still about the same. Still, I must say that I'm impressed with their resolve. Jim's intelligence and productivity has exceeded expectations, and Ciel's strength and overall sense of humanity has also been astounding. Never in my life did I think I'd see Ciel Phantomhive shed a tear for another person, but obviously, I was wrong."  
_

_0000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Miranda, what do you know of elves?"** by RapunzelInTheSnow_

_Miranda's Answer: "Not a whole lot. Their biology is somewhat of a mystery, since we can't get a hold of any specimens, but we do know that they live for hundreds of years, but aren't immortal. They're fairly calm and docile, so we really don't get any calls about them. They've blended in fairly well with humans, and just seem very tall with funny-looking, slightly pointed ears, which can easily be covered up. We know that even with this, they still prefer the company of other supernatural beings, and often use their ability to blend in order to help others in the supernatural community who cannot, since resources are made hard for them to come by. I feel bad for non-agent supernaturals... They have it really hard..."_

_0000000000_

_Question: **"For Sebastian: Any particular reason the Rolls Royce was your favorite?"** by kwiluvu_

_Sebastian's Answer: "The Rolls Royce Phantom is a beautiful car... It's outside appearance is not too modern, but it's not outdated, at the same time. It has a certain regalia to it. It handles very well, and drives smoothly without any unnecessary attachments..."_

_Alois: "Please, don't get a car-boner right now..."_

_000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Alois, what made you actually go to the restaurant that Metus suggested? And was it any good?"** by Vannaluv_

_Alois' Answer: "I dunno. I was curious, so I looked it up, and it just seemed perfect! We didn't actually get to eat there, though, because of a car-chase... It's like the world is conspiring against me to make sure that I fail at trying to impress Ciel..."_


	4. The Lion's Flirtation and His Occupation

"_Oh? What's this?"_ asked Sebastian with a grin as he was about to exit the Phantomhive gentleman's office with the outgoing mail. "You're sending a card? How unlike you, master."

"It's for detective Bailey." Ciel replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "He retired, recently, and Jim said that's the best way for me to congratulate him."

"Ah, I see." The man said, placing the envelope back in with the small stack in his hand. "Ordinarily, it would be more appropriate to do so personally, but I know you're not really good with people."

"I don't know how to do this stuff…" stated the bluenette. "Whatever's appropriate is constantly changing, and I just don't understand how to interact very well…"

"You've gotten better. You even have people who you call _'friends'."_

"Gabriel was one of them…" the younger demon answered, referring to the detective.

"He's retired, not _dead,_ master. You can still see him…" the butler said with amusement, much to his master's embarrassment.

"I don't know how to go about arranging that, either." The younger man said, turning away in his chair.

"It's fairly easy. You pick up the phone and call him." Sebastian said.

_"Don't you have things to do?"_ Ciel asked, changing the subject, to which the man clad in black chuckled.

"Very well. If you'll excuse me, then." Replied the butler, making his leave. On his way, he passed the blonde menace in the hallway, who noticed his grin.

"Ciel being Ciel again?" Alois inquired, placing a hand on his hip.

"It would seem that way." Answered Sebastian. "He didn't like that I noticed him slipping a card for Detective Bailey in with the outgoing mail."

"Oh, no, he was noticed having a heart!" the blonde replied in feigned shock.

"He's more open, but he's still guarded." The man stated. "I simply don't know how you do it."

"Me neither. I just make it up as I go."

"You're very talented." Sebastian noted before checking his watch. "It's almost time for me to get started on lunch. I should drop these off and get started."

"Roger that." Answered Alois. "I'll go check on Grumpy, and by '_check on',_ I mean '_annoy the crap out of'_."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll be taking my leave, then."

"M'kay. Have a safe trip." The menace said jokingly as the man walked off. With that, the blonde continued walking before finally reaching the bluenette's office and swinging open the door without bothering to knock.

"Yoo-hoo~! Paging mister Phantomhive, your _extremely handsome_ boyfriend is off school, and is bored." He said walking inside and shutting the door. The bluenette probably would have flinched at the sudden action, had he not sensed the blonde walking up. If there was one thing that this contract was useful for, it made it extremely easy to avoid sneak attacks.

"Oh, and what do you expect _me _to do about it?" the Phantomhive asked, glancing up from his paperwork, trying to show no signs of amusement in the blonde's words or actions.

"First; I expect '_welcome home'_ kisses, and second; I have no idea after the first thing. Just make something up." Alois replied, walking over to the other boy's desk. He bent himself forward at the waist, placing on hand on the surface of the desk, and the other on the arm of the bluenette's chair as he leaned in and awaited the boy to meet him halfway. With a chuckle, Ciel set his papers down and leaned up to peck his beau on the lips.

"First you expect '_good morning'_ kisses and then '_welcome home'_ ones, too?" asked the bluenette. "Whatever's next?"

"I don't know. I haven't decided yet, and can you blame me for wanting kisses?" the blonde inquired in his reply. "I have a high need for affection, Ciel. I'm like a rabbit. If I don't get enough attention, I'll die."

"Well, now I can't allow that to happen, now can I? I can't say I see you as a _'rabbit'_, though."

"Really? What am I, then?" questioned Alois. His beau stared at his face for a while before coming up with an answer.

"A lion." Ciel stated, much to the blonde's surprise. A blush spread across the face of the more fair-haired man, much to the delight of the Phantomhive.

"How am I a _lion?"_ the Macken asked. "I don't see it…"

"Well, you have a cat-like look about you, for starters, and your hair looks like it could be a mane." Began the bluenette, playing with the other man's blonde locks as he spoke. A grin formed on his face as his beau seemed to become more flustered.

"You're also very brave and sturdy. Remember when we first saw each other again, and you blocked Morgan's claw with your gauntlet _while_ moving me out of the way and holding me close? _My heart might have fluttered a bit at that_." He admitted. It certainly was worth it to see the look on the menace's face. Alois took the hand on the armrest and placed it over his mouth, hiding his smile.

"That wasn't really a big deal." The Macken stated. He was immensely pleased that he had managed to look "cool" in front of the bluenette. "You would've done the same for me…"

"But _I_ wouldn't have looked as good doing it, though." Ciel replied. His grin widened when the other man looked away.

"I was covered in blood and sweat and was a bit high-strung from all of the feelings I was having." The blonde pointed out.

"I don't care. You still kissed me, even though I was just as filthy, had blood in my mouth, and hadn't brushed my teeth in about two weeks, didn't you?"

"I needed kisses and from by the way you looked, you really needed them, too."

"You're right. I really did." The Phantomhive stated, reaching up and pulling the blonde's hand away from his mouth and intertwining their fingers together. "I was a mess."

"We both were, but at least my skin wasn't coming off." Alois replied. His smile faded momentarily. "When I saw that, and that you were crying, it really scared me…"

"I went a little crazy because I thought I'd lost you." Ciel said, reaching up with his free hand and cupping the blonde's cheek. "I love you so much, that I get a little stupid." The blonde giggled at that.

"True." He said. "But I never thought you'd cry for me…" he added, causing Ciel to blush.

"You're worth crying over." The bluenette said. He leaned up again to kiss his beau, to which the blonde happily reciprocated. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too." Alois replied with a smile. He leaned his forehead on the Phantomhive's shoulder. "Ugh, you make me so goddamn happy, I don't even know what to do!"

"Good, then my plan is working." Murmured the Watchdog into his lover's ear. He kissed it, and much to his surprise, the blonde's free hand found its way tangled into the bluenette's hair, and he tilted his head so that he could kiss Ciel's neck. To this, a gleam appeared in the Phantomhive's eye.

"Oh? _Is there something you want from me, Jim?"_ He asked playfully. His eyebrows raised when the Macken quickly pulled away and straightened his back, a blush staining his cheeks.

"S-sorry, is it not okay?" he bashfully asked, much to the bluenette's confusion.

"It's alright with me." Ciel answered. "Why do you ask?" His obvious puzzlement toward the blonde's actions only embarrassed the other man further.

"Uh, well… We haven't done _'that'_ since you were captured, so I didn't know if you wanted to or not…" replied Alois, his eyes desperately searching for something to focus on other than the man seated in front of him. He failed when Ciel stood up and took his hands in his own, with cheeks slightly tinted pink as well.

"I abstained because I didn't know if _you _wanted to do anything." The Phantomhive stated. "After what happened with Metus… I figured that you might not need me trying anything for a while…"

He took one of his hands away and rubbed the back of his neck. His eye averted itself from his beau's gaze as the man simply stared at him. Alois blinked a few times before wrapping his arms around the Phantomhive's waist and nuzzled against his cheek.

"You're so sweet." The Macken said. "Your communication skills suck, but you're sweet."

"I'm sorry. I'm still learning." Ciel replied. "Did you think I was being neglectful?"

"Not really, I was just a bit worried, because usually, you'd be all over me after being away for so long."

"Is there something that you're trying to imply?"

"That you're a horndog? _Yes."_ Alois answered.

"How unfair. I've been able to refrain for over a month, now." The bluenette pointed out at his beau's accusation.

"Are you saying you could live without having me?"

"I _could,_ if I had to. Love-making isn't exactly a necessity for survival." Ciel stated. "I just like being close to you."

"Tonight, then?" asked the blonde, pressing their foreheads together with a sly grin.

"Tonight, or whenever you'd like." cooed his beau. "So long as it's on the bed, and I get to be as slow as I want. You should really savour these thing, you know." Once again, the blonde's face turned red.

"You look as though you're going to devour me." He said, furrowing his brow, slightly.

"That's most likely because I intend to ravish you this evening." Spoke the Phantomhive with a haughty smile.

He quickly kissed the other man on the cheek before taking his seat again, simply leaving the blonde to linger on that thought. It took a lot of willpower to not acknowledge the expression on the Macken's face, but somehow, he managed. Meanwhile, Alois desperately wanted to retort and opened his mouth to do so, but he couldn't find the words. While he loved playing his game where he did everything in this power to get under the bluenette's skin, he hated it when the other man retaliated. It wasn't fair how he was just as capable of rendering Alois just as speechless and fluster. Truly, Ciel Phantomhive was one of the most dangerous individuals that Alois had ever met.

Finally, he managed to formulate a comeback, but the phone on the watchdog's desk rang before he could shoot it at the man. Ciel looked up at the blonde with great amusement, uttering a small "Ha" before reaching to pick up the phone. His grin did not waver, even as he placed the device up to his ear.

"_Phantomhive_." He answered, just as he always did, regardless to who it was on the other end out of habit. As he heard the voice of the person on the other end of the line, his smile faded and transformed into a frown.

It was Detective Michael Bailey, the son of the Phantomhive's friend and coworker. Since his father had retired, he took his place. Alois sighed, as he understood what Ciel's reaction meant. Even though he had just got out of school for the day, it was time to go back to work.

* * *

**A/N: Do you want to make a deadman? Doesn't have to be a human...  
**

**Walking in a Deadman Wonderland~(?)**

**I'm sorry...**

**Anyways, hello. **

**These guys are dorks... We haven't had them, like, suggestively flirting in a long time, so here we go...**

**Cockblocked by murder, though. I hate it when that happens.  
**

**Uh... I'm not really sure what to say... That's part of the reason why I didn't do a lot of A/Ns toward the end of the first thing. I just haven't had a lot of things to say...**

**Uh... I have mozzarella sticks. Is that of any importance?**

**Probably not...**

**Question?**

_**"is this story going to focus more on the rest of the S7 (or the S...6?)" by Honeycloud of RiverClan**_

**They're going to get more attention, yeah, but the primary focus is still gonna be Ciel and Alois. We've got to resolve the conflicts that they face, but the demonic duo ultimately has more going on.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET**_

_Question: **"Hey Ciel, have you ever seen Sebastian in his demon form? What does he look like?"** by Artemis Phantomhive  
_

_Ciel's Answer: __"I hav__en't, actually. He says it's 'disgusting' and that he doesn't want anyone to see."_

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_Question: **"Hi Alois so The question is whose the mom dad and kids in your 'little family'? Is Sabastian a granddad? Ciel and Sebastian can answer too."** by hollowshizuo15_

_Alois' Answer: __"I don't really know. __Sebastian's kind of like all of our dads, even though Ciel is the head of the house. He acts more like a big brother to Luka and Revy, but it's like he's an in-law toward them, y'know? He's trying, that cute, little..."_


	5. What a Peculiar Hobby

New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway, London SW1H 0BG, United Kingdom. This was the address that the demons' cab dropped them off at. As always, they simply waltzed into the building as if they owned the place, much to the annoyance of some of the lower-ranked officers. Somehow, Alois simply knew that the bluenette did this on purpose and simply repeated the demeanor as a result. It wasn't as if some ordinary policeman is going to be able to stop them.

The pair made their way to the investigative department before heading to the wing that specialized in murder and homicide. This was_ their _wing, even though they didn't visit too often. As they walked through the corridor, ignoring the usual stares, Alois held his nose.

"Why does this section of the building always smell?" he asked. "It always reeks of coffee and _stress."_

"Most homicide detectives have it very rough." Ciel answered. "Try to ignore it the best you can. Humans have trouble dealing with this sort of thing."

"These youngin's and their complaints!" the blonde jested. "Back in _my_ day, a twelve-year-old could solve murders with no problems at all!"

"Times have changed, I guess." Chuckled his beau as they walked to the door of the evidence room. Casually, they opened it and walked inside to see the younger Bailey waiting on them.

The man looked a lot like his father with black hair, and he kept it tidier. His suit was nicer, as well, which was a grave mistake in the field. "Never wear a suit that you wouldn't want getting ruined in the field" is a rule that the man would surely learn, eventually. He stood in front of a table with various files scattered about it. This was going to be good. Naturally, Ciel assumed that this would be a very open and shut case that the man was just too inexperienced to solve, but he would soon find out as to whether or not there was any truth in this assumption.

"So what we got, _Junior?"_ asked the blonde menace, walking up to the table. In response, the man opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but closed it as he changed his mind.

"A serial killer." The Bailey gentleman finally answered. He slid one of the files over to the demons. "I figured it would interest you. Five deaths in a matter of weeks, all killed by blunt force, it looks like, in places that the victims weren't supposed to be in. Messages written on the walls near the bodies tested positive as the victims' blood."

Ciel opened the file and looked at the images inside, furrowing his brow. The messages on the walls appeared to be occultist in nature, but it was nothing that he recognised. The pictures of the bodies themselves weren't very good, either, missing small details that could really tell him a lot. He looked up at the human detective.

"These markings look like H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. business." The Phantomhive stated. "Why didn't you call them?"

"I _did_." Bailey Junior replied, crossing his arms. "They stated that the culprit was most likely human, given that the messages didn't amount to anything but show."

"I see…" answered Ciel. "Can I see the corpses of some of the victims?"

"Of course." Bailey said. Just follow me.

They left the room and walked down the hall once again, making it to the morgue. They were keeping the bodies for evidence, but the detective didn't quite know what to do with them. All Bailey Junior knew, was that the victims were killed by blunt force. He wasn't sure what the bluenette could possibly obtain from seeing them.

He glanced over to the demon, watching as the Phantomhive continued to go over the documents while walking, occasionally being casually moved out of the way of obstacles by his blonde assistant. It was odd. The pair were just odd. The detective simply couldn't wrap his head around how these two could be so nonchalant, and almost playful about murder, and violence in general, really.

Why, just one week earlier, they had called him to inform him that they captured a members of a dangerous group of human traffickers. He was told to bring ambulances, and a pizza with breadsticks. When he arrived on the scene, all of the suspects had been shot in at least one knee, both of their cars were totaled, and the demons were seated casually on the roof of their own vehicle. Apparently, they had been on their way to a date, and the pizza was for them. They then proceeded to eat while watching the ambulances haul the criminals away. It was the single most bizarre scene that the young detective had laid eyes on, and something told him that if he continued to associate with this pair, it wouldn't be the _last_.

Finally, they arrived at their destination. After punching in the combination on the lock, the trio walked into a freezing, plain room that smelled like chemicals, rather than "coffee and stress" as put earlier by the blonde menace. Each man put on latex gloves before the Bailey started scanning the compartments that lined the walls. After picking one, he pulled it open, causing a cadaver to appear on a sliding table, like the drawer on a filing cabinet. Ciel walked over and pulled back the tarp that concealed the victim's face.

"This was the latest one." Said detective Bailey. "Sixteen-year-old Aaron Baxter. He was found hours after he failed to come home from school, in an alley that was completely off from his normal route. The back of his head was smashed in and several other lacerations were made to supply more blood for the messages on the wall."

Ciel examined the corpse for several moments, taking in all the details that he could. He paid attention to the victims' arms and hands, as well as his legs. Afterward, Ciel simply nodded.

"Well?" asked Bailey.

"Well, if my suspicions are correct, he was _lured _off course." The Phantomhive answered. "There's no marks whatsoever on his arms, aside from the vertical slashes down his wrists. It could be assumed that those were made to draw blood. From this, we know that he didn't fight back. In addition, he was struck from behind, so he probably trusted this person."

"Alright, so, we find out why, and we'll find the killer?"

"Give me a few hours to figure out if there's any connection between the victims, and we'll have a better profile." Ciel answered. "Also, do you know the route he usually takes from school?"

"No."

"Find out. Ask his friends, they'll most likely know." The bluenette stated. "Get me that as soon as possible, preferably marked on a map."

"Oh… Alright? Anything else?" inquired the human detective.

"No, that should do for now." Ciel stated, putting the tarp back over the victim's face. "If I need anything else, I'll call." He began to make his way toward the door while the blonde demon that followed him tried to hide his grinning at the Phantomhive's haste.

"Until then, I suppose." The bluenette said as "goodbye", closing the door on his way out. He uttered a sigh as he and his beau briskly made their way down the hallway.

"What's wrong? Not in the mood for murder?" Alois asked, his voice laced with amusement.

"Not really." Admitted the watchdog. "But I get bored and need something to do while you're at school…"

"Because you can't do _me?"_ the blonde inquired, giggling at the look that the Phantomhive shot him.

"Keep that up, and you'll get _nothing_ when we get home." Ciel warned, but the blonde knew a farce woven by the bluenette when he saw one.

"_Bullshit,_ I see how big of a hurry you're in." pointed out the menace, causing the other man's cheeks to turn slightly pink as he frowned.

"Maybe there's a programme on TV that I don't want to miss?" suggested the watchdog.

"I hope not." Alois said. "I was looking forward in engaging you in _convivial society_."

"Oh?" the Phantomhive mused, chuckling at the blonde's language. "That's an unusually delicate way for you to put it."

"Well, if I told you too bluntly that I hope we keep our plans to participate in amorous congress while still in public, you might get mad at me and threaten to cancel." Replied the Macken. His coiled his arms around one of the other man's and leaned against him as they walked. With a grin, he leaned in to whisper in Ciel's ear.

"If you _did _though, I could always try _seducing_ you." He suggested, causing the pink tint of the bluenette's cheeks to change to red. Alois' grin widened as the his beau cleared his throat, switching hands so that the files in his possession were placed in the hand attached to the arm that the menace was latched onto so that he could cover his mouth and maintain some shred of decency.

"_That won't be necessary."_ Ciel insisted hastily as they exited the building. His mind did it's best to refrain from imagining the sort of things the blonde would do in that scenario. The man was in some ways more devious than even he.

The Phantomhive hailed a cab. As it pulled up, he looked to his beau with a frown. "Don't look so pleased with yourself…"

"Well, knowing your handiwork, I will most likely have an even more thoroughly pleased expression by then end of the evening." Alois said as he opened the door. "And I_'_m fully aware of how _proud_ you are of that."

To this, the bluenette's frown shifted to an arrogant smirk. He couldn't deny that claim, after all. Ciel stepped into the cab and was soon followed by the menace before telling the driver the address of the estate. The Phantomhive had lied to detective Bailey. He would be finding a link between the victims of the killer _tomorrow,_ for tonight, he had other engagements.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I just really wanted to throw in some Victorian euphemisms for sex...  
**

**Not sorry.**

**Ah, but we have the beginnings of a murder, so that will be fun.**

**I missed murder...**

**I want more crime...**

**Fluff _and_ crime pls...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"FOR Sebastian who smiles often now like a proud father: ARE you a proud "father"? And Rolls Royce or Kitties? And why does every person whose name's Sebastian that I come across with is super white without any blemishes whatsoever? Like my cousin! Revy'n'Luka: Hi, I miss you even though we have not met before! Why so emo, Rev? Luka, you little cutie, why so cute?"** by I'm just a person now read 66  
_

_Sebastian's Answer: "I'm not sure why people named Sebastian are like that. I simply took the form of what my master needed. I'm not sure how I feel about being the 'parent' of the household, but I can't say I dislike it. Somehow, it's kind of pleasant, in an odd sort of way, especially when the children are behaving. Also, why can't I have both?"_

_Revy's Answer: "What does 'emo' mean?"_

_Luka's Answer: "I dunno. I'm just me!"_

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_Question: **"im going to bring back some old stuff by asking dan, 'what would you do, now with your newfound feelings, if you were locked in a room with kris handcuffed to the bed naked?"** by Fanficceptionwriter_

_Daniel's Answer: ***blushes*** "Wh-wha...?"_

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_Question: **"Hey Sebastian, did you forgive Alios for wrecking your baby-I mean car? Hmm, Alois what was his reaction when you came home without his baby-I MEAN CAR? Did he forgive you?"** by hollowshizuo15 and everyone, basically_

_Sebastian's Answer: __"Well, it was an accident, but__... I should have known better than to allow him to drive it... I should have stayed firm..."_

_Alois' Answer: "He's still a bit mad, but he's kind of passive-aggressive about it... I was really scared of him when I came home that night... He was smiling, but I could see the murderous intent beneath the surface and could feel it in the air..."_


	6. Open and Shut

Violently, the alarm on the nightstand that sat next to Alois' side of the bed went off, stirring both he, and his partner from their slumber. With a groan, he buried his face further into the chest of his beau and furrowed his brow, groggily hoping that if he ignored the atrocious sound, it would eventually go away. Sadly, this wasn't the case, as Ciel soon opened his eyes and looked toward the offending device before to the blonde menace. He chuckled and stroked the other man's hair.

_"Jim, it's time for you to get up_." He said, finally, earning a whine from the fair-haired demon.

"_I don't want to."_ Alois replied bluntly, squeezing his boyfriend tighter. He was forced to move from his place, however, when the bluenette sat up and leaned over him to shut the alarm off. The blonde's arms immediately found their way back around the Phantomhive, but the other gentleman wasn't going to let him have his way.

"You have school today." Ciel stated. "I'm not going to let you skip just so you can cuddle."

"You_ love _my cuddles." The Macken boy sleepily answered. "You have work, too, don't you? And _I'm _in trouble for not wanting to go to biology?"

"Biology is important, especially if you want to become a detective." Stated the bluenette, throwing off his covers before swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

He could feel the other man staring at him as he made his way toward the dressing room in order to get ready for the day. Meanwhile, his beau simply sprawled out, taking up as much room as possible and stealing the Phantomhive's pillow.

"I _am_ a detective…" Alois said into the pillow as he hugged it, using it as a substitute for his boyfriend before the bluenette forced him to get up.

"You're also the one who wanted to pursue higher education, Jim." Ciel pointed out, having heard the blonde's muttering.

Quickly, he put on some pants and underwear before throwing on a shirt. He grabbed a pair of socks before heading back into the other room to see if Alois was even making a small attempt to wake up. The man's eyes rolled and he shook his head at this utter act of defiance that the blonde was putting on. With that, he walked over to the front of the bed and placed his hands on the sheets.

"Wake up, Jim. You can't stay in bed forever." He said, gripping onto the fabric.

"_Watch me."_ Snarked Alois, but it was soon followed by a sharp intake of breath as the warm blankets that concealed his still naked form were suddenly taken away. He curled in on himself, trying to shield himself from both the cold air and the Phantomhive's eyes. Ciel, on the other hand, grinned.

"My, my, now that's a pleasant sight…" he mused, dodging as the menace threw the pillow in his arms at the bluenette's face. In a huff, his beau sat up and yawned.

"_Tosser."_ Accused the blonde, much to the amusement of his lover.

"You love me anyway." Ciel replied. "Get up. You're going to school, unless you don't want to anymore, and I can stop paying. Either way."

"Fine, I'll put on clothes and stuff…" Alois groaned, getting up out of bed and shuffling over to the dressing room.

"Good boy." The Phantomhive said. "I'll be in my office trying to solve a murder, when you're done."

"Wait! I need morning kisses!" whined the menace, causing the other man to smile as he opened the door to their room.

"Then you'd best hurry up." He said, chuckling at the displeased expression on the other's face.

With that, he made his way to his office, toting along the file that he had been given by the younger Bailey. This case seemed pretty simple to solve, but in all honesty, the Phantomhive was not certain of detective Michael Bailey's competence to solve it. Then again, Ciel thought the same about the man's father when they first met. They made the same mistakes, like wearing expensive suits to crime scenes. The bluenette shook his head at the memory.

Upon reaching his office, he sat down and opened his file, getting to work, or at least pretending to, until the younger detective sent him what he asked for. If things turned out the way he thought, this would be a very open and shut case, but in the off-chance that it wasn't, Ciel made at least some small kind of effort. Some tea would have been nice right then, but he woke up earlier than anticipated, thanks to Alois' alarm.

On the surface, none of the victims seemed to be particularly related. Aaron Baxter, the victim from the lab, as well as another victim, appeared to be from the same school, but the rest were scattered about by age, occupation, and social status. They seemed random, really. The fact that both of the two most recent victims were the students, however, was interesting.

They went to Powerham secondary school and were even in the same year. Ciel looked even further into the files and noticed that all of the other victims were people who were quite easy to disarm. Employees at local stores were listed, as well as a few public servants. There was a vicar, and a few members of his church, as well. Something told Ciel that these people knew their killer and trusted them. The killer was probably a regular at those stores and spoke often with members of their church. This person was friendly. What stood out, however, was the two students. How could they have had access to the students?

"_Oh_…" Ciel said aloud as it hit him.

His lips curved into a smile at how horrible this killer really was. He took out the small memopad that always sat in one of the corners of his desk in order to make a note to himself about calling the school to arrange a meeting. This was going to be interesting, after all. He didn't act on his hunch immediately, however, as he sensed his beau walking up to the door, once again failing to knock before he opened it.

"Learn anything new and different?" inquired the blonde menace as he walked over to the Phantomhive's desk.

"Possibly." Ciel replied, pecking his beau on the lips. "I might get to go out and investigate."

"Aw, without me?" asked Alois. "How cold..."

"I'll be back before you get home. It will only take me a few hours." The Phantomhive stated. "I probably won't be making any arrests, today."

"Still no fair… You get to go off catching criminals, while I get to learn all about shit I already learned in secondary school."

"But Jim, _the mitochondria is the powerhouse cell."_

"Oh, fuck off!"

"_You're_ the one who has to leave for school." Ciel replied.

"Yeah, yeah…" the menace said, pausing to kiss the Phantomhive's forehead. "I'm gone, then. I'll be sure to tell you all about _mitochondria_ when I get back."

"_Have fun."_ The bluenette answered, watching momentarily as the blonde walked out the door. He leaned back in his chair for a moment before looking up the phone number of Powerham School online. With that, he dialed the phone and placed it up to his ear.

* * *

**A/N: Lots of shameless flirting, lately... I just missed it, okay? After all of that angst and sorrow, I desperately need fluff. **

**Don't look at me...**

**I don't really have much to say here, so, questions?**

_**"Hateweasel what gave you the Idea to write Celois in 21st century? Are you enjoying that your stories are a success and popular? Just askin'." by hollowshizuo15**_

**A friend of mine wrote fanfiction, and said I should give it a try, so halfheartedly, I planned on taking some rps done with my friends and turn them into a fanfiction. It was supposed to be kind of a crackfic, but then murder happened, and made everything fall into place. **

**Thank you, Sudoku Killer...**

**I'm not really cut out for crack, since I really don't much care for it, myself, so in the end, I spent a lot of time trying to make everything make sense... DLTD also wasn't supposed to be Cielois. In the show, I just wanted them to be detective bros, so that's what was going to happen, but then I realised that having a pairing would get me more traffic, so I tweaked it accordingly.  
**

**I didn't really ship Cielois before DLTD...**

**As for "success", it's nice, I guess. I like the_ almost_ instantaneous feedback, and I like hearing what other people have to say about kuro. The discussion is a lot of fun. It also feels really nice to see people excited about something, and being a part of that. Ah, that sounds really cheesy, doesn't it? I don't know what else to tell ya, though...  
**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: "**What would you guys say to a Mario Kart 8 tournament? Ciel, I think you would totally be that person who puts bananas right in front of item boxes or on ramps. Shells will fly, friendships will be tested, and controllers will be broken! Sebastian, Luka, and Revy can also join in the fun if they want! ****And Dan, sorry about everyone's weird questions for you. You're going through enough right now and I really just want to give you a hug!"** by MacaqueAttack713  
_

_Audrey's Answer:"We tried this, and every one got totally pissed off. Travis swore, and Alois actually bit Ciel because he kept winning. We left the game and came back to see Sebastian, Revy, and Luka playing peacefully, but we found out that it was because Sebastian and Revy kept letting Luka win..."  
_

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_Question: **"Sir Ciel Phantomhive (cause he's a noble and I should respect him) how did you fall for Alois, considering you actually loathed him? And Alois can you name the things that make Ciel laugh? Luka since Sebastian is like a dad dont you want a mommy? Sebastian, no girlfriend, lover, why?"** by hollowshizuo15_

_Ciel's Answer:__"That's hard to say... I summoned him specifically so I could destroy him again, because I was bored and needed a worthy opponent. Then, I realised that I actually had to build him back into that opponent again, and was more than angry about that. I hated him. While trying to make him capable of fighting me, however, I ended up identifying with him and becoming friends on accident. It was nice to have someone who understood what I went through, and how I operate, so I had to keep him instead. Then, things started taking a turn for the worse, or, better, depending on how you look at it, when I started noticing admirable traits in him, like his bravery, tenacity, and wit. When I started finding physical traits of his attractive, however, I knew there was something really wrong. I started wanting to protect him and make him smile for me. It's hard to explain... I just want to spoil him rotten, at times..."_

_Alois' Answer: "Murder. Murder makes him laugh. Alright, I'm only half-kidding. It's not that hard to make him laugh. Word-play and wit hits him pretty hard, but sometimes, he laughs at me, or 'with' me, as he puts it, when I accidentally do something silly, or that strikes him as funny, somehow... Sometimes, he just laughs because he's happy. It's cute." _

_Luka's__ Answer:__ "I don't really remember what it's like to have a mum, so I guess it's just fine. Sebastian takes real good care of us, anyway!"_

_Sebastian's Answer: "I still don't really understand romantic love, as I've still only started to grasp 'fondness' and 'attachment'. Moreover, demons don't really have any need to mate, seeing as though we continue to be created without the use of sexual reproduction, so there's not much point in it, I'm afraid." _


	7. Red Paint

Powerham Secondary School; one of the many public places of schooling in the London area. At one time, even our favourite bluenette demon had attended, as with quite a few of the others. This was why the man had made himself appear somewhat older, giving himself the appearance of a man in his early thirties. Being an alumni of the school was part of the reason why he was allowed in so quickly.

When he attended, he was still his old, reserved self, making a point to avoid any unnecessary relationships, as always. He was considered to be a "bright" student, whereas in reality, he had simply heard the lessons countless times before. Some of the teachers that he had gone to school with were still here, and while he had absolutely no interest in meeting any of them again, he did his best to stay polite, even while ushered around the school by his old headmaster.

"It's good to see you again, Phantomhive." The man said. He was lying, of course, as he hardly remembered the boy, but given the fact that he was now someone of importance, it was in his best interest to pretend. "Never expected a student to come back as an investigator."

"Neither did I." the bluenette replied, hoping his tone didn't sound as if he was onto the other man's farce. "I just need to ask a couple questions to a few members of the staff, and I'll be on my way."

"Well, if there's anything you need, please feel free to ask."

"Actually, having the class-schedules of the victims would be immensely helpful." Ciel said with a kindly faux-smile. After a few moments, the head master nodded before turning to his computer as he sat behind his desk.

"Of course." The other man said as he typed. Soon, the printer in the corner of the room began to hum, dispensing two sheets of paper. The headmaster got up and retrieved them before handing them to the detective. "Is there anything else?" Ciel shook his head.

"No, this will do nicely." The Phantomhive replied. "Thank you for your help."

With that, the demon stood up and walked toward the door with schedules in hand. He offered the headmaster a friendly smile before exiting. His grin immediately fell upon shutting the door behind him.

Ciel took a seat in the commons area in order to look over the papers. He ignored the stares from some of the students, and did his best not to chuckle at their whispering. For some reason, the man took a great delight in the speculations about his presence, and the stories that have been told about him. One group of teens said that he looked like a member of the mafia, while another said he looked like a secret agent. The latter was correct, but they would never know just how warped his job really was.

After a while, he drowned out the whispers completely and focused back on his task. Ciel glanced over the two schedules, comparing them. None of the students' classes overlapped, but they had the same teachers, all of whom were from required classes. All of them, but one, the art teacher. They didn't have her class during the same period, but both of them had art as an elective. Ciel sighed, as he wasn't sure if this was anything of any use, but still, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Bailey Junior.

"_Ask the friends and family of the two _

_student victims if they liked art._

_-CP"_

If the man didn't answer soon with any results, the Phantomhive would simply have to go home for the day and search for other leads. Or, if he was feeling particularly bold, he could simply go to the teacher's class right then and conduct his _own_ interview. Thus, he stood up, and began walking to the classroom of Mrs. Stephanie Dinsdale.

If Ciel's memory was correct, in all of his years of schooling, art teachers were almost always well-liked. They were casual, conversational, and made students feel at ease. Along with English teachers, and drama teachers, the flexible nature in their way of thinking makes them oftentimes very understanding. It was perfect, wasn't it? It fit in with the hypothesis that the victims were lured to their deaths. As Ciel opened the door, he was met with everything he had hoped for; a kindly-looking woman who looked as though she would never harm a fly. The devil smiled as the woman looked up from grading papers in order to address him.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked, looking somewhat startled by the man's appearance. Who wouldn't be? He was stern-looking, and wore a black suit and eyepatch. He was like a villain from the latest summer action flick.

"I'm looking for Mrs. Dinsdale?" he asked, surprising the teacher again by speaking in a soft voice, and putting on a warm smile. "I need to ask her a few questions."

"You've come to the right place, then." The woman stated. She stood up and shook the man's hand. "I'm Stephanie Dinsdale. What kind of questions do you need answers to?"

"I'm _Victor Beattie_." Ciel lied, using an alias. If this person knew about satanic rituals, then it's entirely possible that she's been warned of the infamous watchdog. He flashed his badge, but not long enough for the woman to see his name. "I'm with Scotland Yard. I just need to ask a few questions about the two students of this school who were recently killed. Just a few little things about them, is all. Nothing to worry yourself about."

The woman nodded and say back down. "I'll be happy to help. Please, sit down. There's no need to stand there all day!" she said as she gestured to one of the chairs that sat at the nearest table. Ciel casually pulled up a seat and sat in front of the woman.

"I guess we'll start with the most recent case; Mister Aaron Baxter." He said, reaching into his coat and pulling out a small memopad. He reached around into his other pockets before looking up. "I'm sorry, do you have a pen I could borrow?"

"Of course, I've got another one around here, somewhere…" Dinsdale trailed off, fumbling around her desk for a pen. Once she found one, she took off the cap and scribbled on a piece of scrap paper to make sure it was working.

"_Not that one, I guess_." She said, as it produced no ink. As expected of an art teacher. She probably has doodled countless times with the pens on her desk. With that, she reached underneath her desk and pulled out her purse before rummaging through it.

"Ah! Here we are!" she declared before handing the writing utensil over. The demon accepted it, his fingers brushing against the instructor's briefly. He watched her face carefully, noticing a small twitch of her brow and her face changing hues.

"Thank you." Ciel said, sitting back in his chair. He clicked the pen before scribbling on the pad in his hand. He held it up to his gaze, examining it before scribbling again. This time, he actually applied some pressure and created lines. The single blue eye of the Phantomhive flickered upwards to catch the instructor staring, and smiled.

"So, Aaron Baxter…" the demon began. "What was he like?" He watched the woman's face carefully as her eyes flickered toward the bottom left and then back to his gaze again.

"He was very bright." Answered the instructor, almost predictably. "Very creative. He loved what he did, I could tell. He was a bit eccentric, I'll give him that. Always the center of attention…"

"Did he get along well with the class?"

"Yes, he'd always help others, and ask questions. He'd always ask if he could stay after and work on projects."

"I see." Ciel said, half-heartedly jotting things down. To him, only certain parts of this information was relevant. With a falsely sympathetic smile, he looked up again. "What can you tell me about the other victim? Clara Adler?"

"She was very creative as well. She took her art a bit more seriously than Aaron, but was just as passionate." Replied Missus Dinsdale. "She always tried to learn everything she could about art, and always had questions to ask." When she looked up at the man seated across from her, the smile on the woman's face fell as the colour from her face drained. Somehow, the friendly smile that he wore had now twisted into something cruel. Ciel clicked the pen once more before asking:

"_Can you show me the weapon that's in your purse?" _

"Wh-what?" the woman asked, her voice shaking. To this, the boy held up the pen in his hand.

"This pen reeks of iron, and looking closely, you can see traces of blood on it." The bluenette stated. "Can you show me the weapon that's in your purse?"

"Mister Beattie, you certainly don't think that _I _killed those two, do you?!"

"Of course I do. You're _perfect_." Ciel answered. "The victims were killed by blunt force to the back of the head; most likely with a hammer, from the size of the indention. There were no signs of them fighting back, and they were far away from where they were supposed to be. They walked there willingly. Why? Because they were lured there by someone they trusted."

"And you think that's me?!" the woman demanded, standing up. Regardless of her actions, the demon stayed seated; a gleam of amusement flickering in his eye.

"Yes." The demon bluntly said, his voice smooth. "According to you, the two victims were some of the best in your class. They trusted you enough to ask questions, didn't they? To ask if they could stay after class and work? You helped them. They were easy targets to you. Furthermore, the blood from your face drained the moment I grabbed this pen, as if you knew you had made a mistake in handing it over. Your eyes could never stay focused on me the entire time I was here, as if you were trying to avoid me, and your face twitched nervously." Ciel leaned forward.

"You knew, didn't you?" he asked. "You knew you were a suspect from the start. Now, why don't you show me what's in your bag?"

"It's just art mateirials." The woman said. "That's probably paint, not blood."

"It's the wrong colour. You would have to mix paints to achieve this shade of red." Ciel replied. "Let me see your art materials, then. It would be interesting if you had paintbrushes in there, especially given that messages were painted on the walls in the victims' blood." The art instructor clenched her fists and grit her teeth.

"You…" she growled, glaring at the man. Suddenly she reached into her bag. "I'll show you the weapon!" she shouted, brandishing a hammer.

She raised it high above her head before bringing it crashing down again, aiming right for the Phantomhive's forehead. Her eyes widened when her arm abruptly stopped short of its target. A whimper escaped her lips as the man had her wrist held tightly in his grip. He squeezed the woman's arm harder, forcing her to drop the hammer.

"It's over, Dinsdale." The man said. "I've caught you red-handed."

* * *

**A/N: Yo. I took the day off yesterday because I wasn't feeling it, and today, we've almost got 2,000 words. How does that even...?  
**

**Whatever... **

**Heheh... We have 69 reviews right now...**

**Uh... what do I even say here? I've got nothin'...**

**Gosh, it's getting late...**

**Questions?**

**"_Question for HateWeasel-sempai - Do you happen to be on Wattpad, or any other place other than and Deviantart?" by BlazeingEcho_  
**

**What's Wattpad?**

**Eh, I have this, a DA, and a Tumblr. That's pretty much it. I'm boring.**

_**"Hate, how do you come up with each of your murder arcs? Do you base them off of real on ones or just think them up?" by Vannaluv**_

**Sometimes, while scrounging for ideas, I just go to the crime section of practically any news site. Huffingtonpost is my favourite, because it's semi-easy to navigate, and I don't have to read a whole lot to get the story. It's good for short attention spans.**

**Anyway, it's kind of a combination of reality and fiction. Sometimes, I come up with some bizarre gimmick, but others come from fact. Sometimes, I take _aspects_ of the facts and add fiction, or vice versa.  
**

**If you wanna write a murder, though, I'd suggest looking at the real deal first.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Sebastian: Do things like 666 or creepypastas exist for real? If so, how are they made? Ciel: How would you feel if Alois had the power to turn to a girl like how you can get older?"** by Auraheart  
_

_Sebastian's Answer: "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. I'm pretty certain that most of those are human inventions, but then again, the master and Mister Trancy claim to have seen 'Slenderman' once on a camping trip."_

_Alois' Answer:"I've mastered getting older, and I've almost got being a girl down, too. I can keep the shape for up to ten minutes and I usually use every second to bother Ciel. It's hilarious how he won't admit to wanting to touch my chest. He still thinks he can hide his 'impure thoughts' from me! Ha!"  
_

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_Question: **"Sebastian if Luka grows up into a brave and kind gentleman or however you raise him to be, how proud will you be?**  
** Hey, Revy. You remind me so much if myself. Anyways, why are you so anti social, you dont interact with people (look whose talking.). Any reasons?"** by hollowshizuo15_

_Sebastian's Answer: "I would be immensely pleased by that. I would have completed that task."_

_Revy's Answer: "I'm not anti-social. It's just hard to interact with people, when there's not too many people to see. I stay in the mansion, most of the time, you know and the others are really weird. I do talk to people online, though. I have a blog."_


	8. One Step Forward Three Steps To The Side

It was too easy. Missus Stephanie Dinsdale was immediately placed under arrest, much to the shock of the students and staff of Powerham School. It didn't matter, though. The woman was caught with a bloody hammer in hand and wielded it with the intent of killing a police officer with it. Case closed.

For now, Ciel simply left her in the hands of Scotland Yard. He had no further interest in the case, after all. It was too easy, making it somewhat of a bore. With that, he simply exited the station, once the woman was secure. He didn't care about the markings the woman left on the walls. It was probably some random decision she made. She was a painter, after all.

The Phantomhive walked down the steps, adjusting his coat, so it would better shield him against the cold, autumn air, but when he looked up, he saw a familiar face waiting on him. The blonde menace stood leaned against a pillar that held up the awning overhead, kicking pebbles to curb his boredom while he waited. His nose and ears were bright pink, so he must have been outside for a while. His beau smiled and shook his head at Alois' actions. If he was off school, why didn't he simply go home, where it was warm?

Alois began to look up, sensing that Phantomhive's presence. When he turned his head, however, his lips ended up brushing against those of the other demon. He giggled against his beau's lips before pulling away.

"Why, good day, Sir Phantomhive." He greeted, playfully offering a small bow.

"You're cold." Ciel stated. "How long have you been here?"

"About… half an hour, I think, maybe?" replied the blonde. "I'm not really sure. I was busy thinking."

"About what?"

"Stuff." Alois answered. He stood up and away from the pillar before standing directly in front of the bluenette. "Sebastian sent me to pick you up so we can get the Mercedes. There's apparently some paperwork or whatever that I can't sign."

"That makes him one step closer to a Rolls Royce." The Phantomhive jested. "All right, let's go get the new car." He added, taking hold of the blonde's hand. Ciel looked down at it before looking Alois again.

"You're cold." Pointed out the bluenette. "You could have come inside, you know."

"And miss out on all of this _beautiful London sunshine?"_ Alois asked, gesturing to the cloudy, grey sky above them with his free hand. "Not a chance!"

"The lobby is still warmer." His beau stated with a small chuckle.

"_But there's mean receptionist ladies in there who think I'm a delinquent who's there because I'm in trouble_."

"That happened only one time…"

"One time too many!" the blonde said, leaning against Ciel's shoulder. "Besides, you're a lot more warm and cozy when I'm already cold."

"Ah, so you didn't want to look bad and you wanted to optimize cuddle-conditions?" inquired the watchdog.

"_Yes."_ Alois bluntly stated with a nod. "If I'm honest, though, it's more of the reception-lady. The cuddle-capacity was just a bonus. Tell me, do I look like a n'er-do-well to you?"

"If I remember correctly,_ you_ were the one always pulling outrageous stunts in school…"

"_It was a phase!"_ the blonde declared. "I'm a changed man! A responsible adult! I've turned over a new leaf, you have to give me that."

"I guess I do." Ciel jokingly replied. "Now, about the car?"

"Yeah, _but there's a strange man nearly tripping down the steps trying to run after you_." Alois pointed out, turning to face the Scotland Yard building and prompting his boyfriend to do the same. The Phantomhive nearly rolled his eye when he saw the younger Detective Bailey running out of the building and calling out to him.

"Sir Phantomhive!" shouted the detective, barely catching himself as he tripped on the last step. The bluenette reached out and lightly pushed on his shoulder so that he wouldn't fall flat on his face.

"What is it, Michael?" he asked, watching as Bailey paused to catch his breath. After a few moments, the human detective regained some composure and stood up straight.

"There was another murder." He said. "Just like the others."

"She had the hammer on her at the school, and it still had blood on it. Maybe she committed the murder this morning?" suggested Ciel.

"We don't know that, yet." Answered Bailey. "We'll have to see what the lab says about speculated time of death. We just got the call from someone who found the body. They said it was still warm…" To this, the Phantomhive stopped to think.

"It's possible that Dinsdale has an accomplice." He stated finally. "Get me a speculated route that the victim took to get in the location that they were found and question Dinsdale."

"What if she didn't really do it, though?"

"She still tried to assault an officer with a hammer." Ciel said. "You can't ignore that."

With that, the bluenette turned and began walking again. "Send me whatever you find in an e-mail." He called out, taking the arm of the blonde menace as he ventured onward. A sigh escaped his lips after he was suitably out of range, causing the other demon to giggle.

"Tired of the case, huh?" Alois inquired.

"Sort of." Replied his beau. "It seems like it would be simple for them to solve, so I'm not trying that hard."

"But there's still another murder?"

"Either the victim was killed before Dinsdale went to school, or she has an accomplice." The bluenette said. "I've got other things to worry about…"

"_Funtom's one-hundred and seventieth anniversary?" _Alois' smile widened as he seemed to hit the nail on the head.

"I don't want to deal with this." The Phantomhive complained. "Every ten years or so, we do these promotional anniversary celebrations and they're a massive pain."

"They must be, since the head of the company has to make an appearance." Noted the blonde. "How do you make sure they don't know you're not human?"

"Simple, it's just like during our trip to the New York branch a while back." Ciel stated. "I change my form and go under the name that I've picked. I have to change them out every few years and pretend that I'm my son. It's awkward, at most."

"And people honestly don't suspect a thing?" the menace asked.

"People are stupid. Most won't dig deep enough to see even the most obvious of lies, but when they _do_…" the bluenette paused, turning to look at his boyfriend as they walked. "…_We give them the old-fashioned, Phantomhive treatment."_

"Ooh, that's so _scary_…" Alois grinned with a shudder. "_I love it_."

"Good, because you're going to be my assistant, and I need you to help me _pretend_ to be sociable. I'm not good at parties."

"So I need to polish up my shape-shifting before then, huh?"

"Most likely." Ciel replied. "I'm supposedly thirty-two and my name is Damian. I'll remind you before then, though."

"So my goal is to make myself look thirty-ish and remember your name?" the Macken boy asked. "I can do that. Need any help with the preparations?"

"I'm trying to secure an appropriate venue, but I'm not entirely sure where, yet." The Phantomhive admitted. "I'm pretty sure that I can leave that to Sebastian if all-else fails. If I think of anything, I'll let you know. It's mostly paperwork-related stuff, for now."

"Well, I've gotten pretty good at forging your signature, so I can do that, too."

"Excellent. Maybe this time, I'll be able to endure for the entirety of the event." Ciel mused. "But first, we need a car."

Alois giggled and separated their hands before hailing a taxi. Once the car stopped, he opened the door and gestured for the bluenette to get inside, saying: "Your wish is my command, my lord. To the dealership, then?"

"Sounds like a plan." The watchdog answered, taking a seat inside the cab before being joined by the blonde. "Cars, soiree-planning, and maybe some case-solving, if anything else turns up. We have a busy schedule…"

"Oh, that reminds me, I have homework…"

_"Don't offer to help if you're busy!" _

* * *

**A/N: Ah, sorry, I haven't been updating regularly.  
**

**Let's get back to work~!**

**How is it that I can pump out three to four chapters a day when I have school, and then can barely manage one when I'm finally free? It's silly...**

**Anyways, questions?**

**_"So what were your reactions on the first episode? I love the animation I found this episode funny because that guy thought he could destroy Ciel. He got bodied ahaha" by bluejellyfishOuO_  
**

**I LOVE IT. It's so pretty and has all sort of cool little details and Ciel is a dork and _I'm probably going to be crying so very much by the end!_**

**I'M PUMPED. SUPER PUMPED.  
**

**It's seriously bringing out the weeaboo trash within my heart!**

_**"Did you draw the cover art for this one, or did some one else?" by BlazeingEcho**_

**I draw all of my covers, which is why this one sort of matches the other one. Keepin' that black-and-white-with-red motif goin'...**

**I used to know what kind of flower that was, but I forgot. I wanted to use roses, but they just didn't look as cool.  
**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	9. A Muddled Mess

The Queen's guard-dog scratched his head at the images on the screen in front of him. The man sat at his desk, reviewing the map that the younger Bailey had sent him with the speculated route of the victim on it as he tried to persuade himself to give this case some further thought. He really had other things to be worrying about, but this needed done as well. A sigh escaped his lips, prompting the attention of the blonde seated in one of the room's uncomfortable sofas, filing paperwork.

"Staring at it isn't going to solve it, Ciel." Alois pointed out, causing the bluenette's eyebrow to twitch.

"I know that…" replied the Phantomhive. "I'm just not quite sure what to do with this. I thought it might be helpful, but I'm not sure what needs to be done. Should I just go to the scene or what?" he asked, gesturing to his computer as the blonde got up to join him.

On the monitor was a map with two lines on it. One was green, and one was red. The green one was to represent the route that Aaron Baxter was supposed to take on his way home from school, and the red one was the route that he is speculated to have taken instead. The menace narrowed his eyes at the screen, trying to piece this together as well.

"What buildings are these?" Alois questioned, pointing at the monitor with his finger. To this, Ciel clicked away from the image to another one on Google.

"These." He said, his frustration growing. As his brow furrowed the blonde took a moment to examine his face. With that, Alois tapped his shoulder.

"Alright, stand up. Give me your seat." The Macken boy instructed. "Let me think about this for a sec while you take a break."

"Why?"

"Because you aren't paying attention at all. Your mind's elsewhere. Go tend to your party-thingy." Alois said, shooing the other man away. "_Let your assistant do some work_."

Reluctantly, Ciel surrendered his office chair, allowing the menace to sit in it. They switched places, forcing the Phantomhive to the couch as his beau stared at the computer. It was actually quite pleasant, as the bluenette was now free from what he had deemed a "lesser task" and allowed him to work on his company. Perhaps a break was what he needed. Admittedly, though, he was somewhat worried about leaving a murder case in the hands of the blonde menace. Alois, however, was immensely pleased to be seated in the comfort of Ciel's chair as opposed to his cinderblock-like sofa.

So, while Ciel attended to business matters, the blonde tended to murder. Alois clicked between the two maps, trying to think of a way to solve this murder. What was the problem again? They caught the person who supposedly did it, but another, seemingly fresh body was found while the suspect was in custody. How was he going to confirm or deny the art teacher's innocence?

He clicked to one image, and then to the other; to one image, then the other again. The watchdog seated elsewhere in the room looked up toward the desk, wondering if the menace was just as stumped as he was. Soon, however, he nearly jumped when the other man called for him.

"Ciel? Important question:" the blonde began. "Do banks have security cameras placed out front, or is that just in movies?"

"Some of them do, but most of them are stationed inside, why?"

"On this route, the victim passed by a bank." Alois replied. "The bank is off course from the usual route, so wouldn't the person who lured them pass by the bank with them?"

"So we can identify the killer from the tapes?!" the bluenette asked, standing up. He walked over to the blonde menace seated at his desk.

"That's what I was thinking, but if most of the cameras are inside, then that won't do. What other places have surveillance cameras out front?"

"Hospitals, police stations, convenience stores…" Ciel listed off. "Some other shops might have them, too, but we'd have to go look because not all stores do that. It depends on management, really."

"Then let's print off his map and go check it out." Alois suggested, moving his mouse over the _print_ icon.

"Right now?" the bluenette asked.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to." His beau replied. "I'm not busy, so I can go do it, if you'd like."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Alois said. "You just worry about your little party, and I'll check on the camera thing. Text me if Bailey calls and tells you if they know what time the victim died. That way, I could just get the tapes while I'm out."

"Alright…" answered the Phantomhive. "Are you sure you can handle this by yourself?"

"I led an elaborate rescue mission into the bowels of a castle that was armed to the teeth with demons and annies in order to save your cute butt." The blonde said, standing up and walking over to the sofa. He picked up his coat from its location slumped over the back of the couch and put it on before continuing. "I think I might be able to handle a brisk walk through town."

_ "That's not what I meant…"_ the bluenette said, rubbing the back of his neck. His beau then grabbed the map off of the printer and trotted over to him before pecking him on the cheek.

"I know. You're just a worrywart. It's cute." The menace stated before heading toward the door. "I shall return, my darling~! Please don't get attacked with a hammer while I'm gone."

"I won't." Ciel called back as the blonde left. He shook his head with a smile on his face as he sat down on the sofa again.

As much as he hated surrendering control over thing, it was nice to have someone help shoulder the burden. Now he was free to work on this silly gathering he was supposed to organize. It was a month away, but time flies by in an instant if you allow it. Before then, he would have to find a venue, organize entertainment and pick out decorations, as well as find a caterer. This was all reminding him of something else, though. It was something important, but Ciel couldn't quite put his finger on it.

_SLAP!_

The Phantomhive introduced the palm of his hand to his forehead at it finally dawned on him. Alois' birthday was _also_ the following month. He could have sworn that the lad only turned eighteen not too long ago, but obviously, "_not too long ago_" turned out to be an entire year. So not only did he have to figure out the _FUNTOM_ one-hundred and seventieth anniversary party, but he also had to figure out what to do for his beau. What's worse is that the blonde made it difficult by not wanting anything specific. Perhaps Ciel should try asking again when the man returned. A sigh escaped his lips as he already knew the Macken's answer.

Something along the lines of: "_You've already given me everything, so what is there left to ask for?"_

It was sometimes annoying, how the blonde could be so unmaterialistic. Ciel leaned back against the sofa as he wondered how this was all going to work out. What if he simply left the rest of the murder up to Alois? That way, it would be out of his way, leaving him more room to plan for the other events on his schedule. Perhaps he could ask Sebastian for help with the arrangement of the FUNTOM celebration? That would clear up a little more.

That could work. Alois does always insist on taking the reins, occasionally. He would most definitely agree to it. Sebastian is his butler, so he wouldn't be able to deny his request. Just giving the man a few things here and there to take care of wouldn't do any harm.

Thus, it was decided. The bluenette stood up, stretching his legs for a moment, before heading toward the door. It was time to have a discussion with his butler.


	10. Hot Crossed Buns

The Mercedes pulled to a stop in a parking lot, and out popped a young man with blonde hair all clad in black. Oh, how Alois had missed being able to drive himself. He absolutely hated it when cabbies tried to make small-talk with him, and the tube made him anxious if he was on his own. Driving or riding with Sebastian was his best bet. Still, having found a good starting point, he slammed the door shut and locked it before taking his map out of his pocket.

"Now let's see, here…" he muttered to him, examining the route that the yard had given him and the watchdog.

With that, he started walking. He walked along the sidewalk, paying close attention to the storefronts. He planned on investigating the ones on this side of the street first, and the doing the other side on his way back to his car. He was looking for security cameras, in hopes of finding footage of the victim and the person who lured them off course.

The blonde looked up and down, and all around as he walked, being careful not to look suspicious. Perhaps he shouldn't have come out today wearing all black as he carefully examined the front security of a bank. Regardless, the establishment did have a camera pointed toward the sidewalk, so he made a mark on his paper before moving right along. There were a few clothing boutiques that had cameras, too, so he marked them down as well. Other than those places, there wasn't a lot that the man could work with. It would have to do though.

To his surprise, though, there were many shops that he had no idea what they were for. They looked like shops, but he couldn't tell what all they were selling simply by what was in the window. In fact, one of the windows was completely blacked out to where you couldn't see inside at all. Out of curiosity, he looked up at the neon sign.

"_'The Body Shoppe'?"_ he read aloud. "Looks shady…" He quickly glanced around the storefront before continuing on his route.

"No cameras?_ Keep walking_." Alois instructed himself, his pace increasing for some reason. He didn't like the vibe that place gave off and if he didn't have to, he wasn't going to investigate it any further. Maybe if he remembered, he'd ask Ciel about it when he got back home.

On his way back, walking along the other side of the street, he made note of a few more cameras he found, occasionally pausing to look at something if it caught his eye. A few blocks away from his last stop was an ordinary toy-store with FUNTOM in the window. They were advertising the anniversary. Alois couldn't help but wonder how his beloved CEO was doing on his little project. Something told him that he was going to be witnessing the bluenette stumble a bit and looked forward to that display with great anticipation.

In fact, FUNTOM logos had made it further than that, and into a bakery, as well. They were apparently having a special on the company's famous curry buns, as well as other products. Come to think of it, some of the clothing shops sold FUNTOM perfume as well. Obviously, Ciel had been very busy. It was a good thing that he didn't require sleep.

On a whim, Alois decided to pop in and get a few snacks for the others at home. One for him, one for Luka, one for Revy, one for Ciel, but none for Sebastian. The butler wouldn't be able to taste it, anyway. Even though he was the one who cooked all of the meals, the butler clad in black did not understand human food.

It was a shame, because FUNTOM curry buns were delicious, even if they tasted slightly different now. The blonde debated on eating his bread on his way back, but decided against it, as if that happened, he would with no doubt insist on stealing some of Ciel's. The Phantomhive was very protective of his snacks, too. As he was somewhat distracted, he almost ran into someone, dodging them at the last minute. He turned around, opening his mouth to scold the other person for not even making an attempt to move, but stopped as they turned around and revealed their face.

"_Daniel?!"_ Alois called out, looking the Westley up and down. Daniel looked horrible- Tired, even, with dark circles around his eyes and sluggish movements. The kicker was when he actually let out a yawn.

"Hey, Alois." He said. "Sorry, I didn't see you."

"What in blazes happened to you?!" the blonde asked, reaching over and pulling the boy's hood off of his head. The brunet hadn't even bothered to part his hair this morning.

"Nothin'. I just haven't been sleeping too good." Daniel answered. "What about you?"

"Forget me, why haven't you been sleeping? Go to bed! Take a shower! Eat a snack! You look pale!"

"I've tried to go to sleep, but I just can't." stated the Westley. "And I just don't feel like doing anything."

"Why? What's bugging you?" inquired the menace, setting his bag on the ground before prodding at the other man's face. "These are signs of depression. Have you tried seeing a doctor?"

"Stop poking me." the brunet said, shooing Alois' hands away. "I'm just kind of bummed about Kris. He's bummed and I couldn't fix it, and now I feel like shit, too…"

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"No…"

"Well there's your problem, right there." The blonde stated. "Seriously. Talk to him. It's the only way anything's going to happen." To his surprise, a blush formed on the Westley's face at the suggestion before the other man looked at the ground.

"I… I can't…" Daniel said.

"Why not?" his friend replied. "Don't tell me you're scared of him, are you?"

"Uh… I dunno… He just… makes me feel weird." The Westley stated. To this, the blonde's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me…!" Alois began, pointing at the other man's face. "_You're ga-"_

"_Shhh!"_ Daniel interrupted, placing his hand against the other's mouth to silence him. "_I don't wanna hear it!_" His face was red all the way up to his ears and he looked desperate. His hands were quickly pried away by the menace as he refused to stay quiet.

"Then what is it? You're blushing like mad and you're worried about him to the point where you're practically ill!" Alois accused. "Now that I think about it, didn't you ask me how I knew I liked Ciel a while back?"

"_That didn't happen!"_

"Yes it _did!_ And you can't deny it!" the menace declared, stabbing his friend in the chest with his index finger as he spoke. "If that isn't it, then tell me the _real_ reason why you're scared of talking to Kris!"

Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. There weren't any. No matter how long the Westley searched for them, he couldn't find them at all. He had already claimed ignorance as to why he was so afraid. He had rationalized all of this by saying that it was because he "didn't know" what to do. He knew. He always knew, but he could not bear to make the faux-blonde even more upset with him than he actually was.

There were times that he would remember the feeling of kissing his best friend, seemingly at random. He would catch himself staring at those lips and lingering on the few words that Kristopherson spoke to him for a little bit too long. Daniel would always quickly shake away the thought and bury it somewhere deep within himself in hopes of forgetting, but then he would set eyes on the scruffy-looking man as he walked through the door from school. When those brown eyes looked up at him, his face felt hot even though his body was completely frozen. Quickly, the Westley would force a recovery, and try not to look back at the disappointed look on his friend's face when he walked away.

Yes, Daniel knew full-well that talking it out with Kristopherson would fix everything, but he did not like the way that his friend was making him feel. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to him. He could never have feelings for another man. It would mean the end of his entire image of himself; as if it were a big lie.

Moreover, there was Daniel's family. His mother would in no way approve, and his brother would beat him to a pulp without a single doubt. If, and only _'if'_ the Westley were to have feelings for Kristopherson, and this was only in a hypothetical sense, then he may have to find another way to pay for college, as Daniel felt that there was no way that his mother was going to regard him as her son anymore. Why would her family waste money on a boy whom they are in no relation with? It didn't make sense!

What Daniel was afraid of was his whole world as he knew it falling apart around him. It wasn't as if he already hadn't observed the beginnings of it. He just didn't know how to make it_ stop_. He didn't want to go forward; he only wanted to go back. It was impossible, though. He even went on a walk to get away from the faux-blonde. He was too afraid. Daniel closed his mouth again before slumping his shoulders and putting his head down.

"_I don't want to_." He answered in a hushed tone, causing the blonde to furrow his brow.

"What about Kristopherson, though?" Alois asked, placing his hands on his hips. "You're just going to leave him waiting for an explanation for what you did? Without closure? Are you going to leave him hanging when he needs you the most?!"

The Westley boy flinched at that last part. Hesitantly, he looked up, curious as to what the other man meant by that. The demon nearly snarled at him.

"Don't you get it? Haven't you been paying attention? Kris thinks that he's responsible for what happened to Preston, and he probably thinks you're mad at him for not talking to him!" The Macken explained. "He thinks he's worthless, right now! You're his best friend! You have to help him and tell him that none of it's his fault!" In his anger, Alois grabbed the collar of the other man's hoodie.

"_Understand?!"_ he demanded. "Or are you too stupid to realise it?! Doing nothing only perpetuates the problem!"

"I know!" Daniel shouted back. "I want to help him, but I _can't!" _

"Why not?!"

"Because…" Daniel began. Why couldn't he? It was obvious; too obvious. The man grit his teeth before answering.

"_Because I don't want to lose everything." _He said in a near-whimper. He hadn't noticed how tight his throat was until it cracked, or even how his eyes began to water before they overflowed.

Alois' gaze softened and he released the Westley from his grip. That's all he needed to hear. The blonde picked his bag up from the ground and pulled up his sleeve to fit over his palm before using it to wipe the other man's face.

"I understand." He said simply. "You're afraid and you don't want to move forward. That's fine and dandy, if you're okay with what happens if you keep this up." When he was done wiping the Westley's face, he reached down and grabbed Daniel's wrist.

"Come on, let's go sit down and come up with how to fix this." He said, tugging his friend along. He eventually stopped in front of a bench and sat down. Hesitantly, Daniel joined him and sat beside him. Both were quiet for a while until Alois spoke again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. His friend sniffed.

"A little better…" Daniel replied. To his surprise, putting his feelings out there did make him feel a bit better, even though he was a bit embarrassed by it. He didn't think Alois would judge him, but he still felt vulnerable. To his surprise, the blonde reached into his bag and offered him some food.

"Eat." The Macken instructed. "You'll feel even better."

"Is that a curry bun?" the brunet asked. He hadn't realised how hungry he was until he smelled it. Alois giggled.

"Yeah. Just take it. I can steal some of Ciel's later." The menace replied. "When you're depressed, you can sometimes forget to eat. Eat it. All of it."

With feigned reluctance, his friend reached out and took the bun before taking a generous bite of it. Indeed, he was hungry. He had to force himself to chew without trying to swallow the morsel whole. Alois watched him for a while, waiting for him to finish before speaking again.

"So what do you want to do?" he asked. "Honestly. What do you really want to happen?"

"I… I just want to stay with Kristopherson like I used to." Daniel answered. "Not… Not like in a… a gay way, but I just… want to be friends, for now."

"Okay, _so tell him that." _Alois said, nearly causing the brunet to choke on his own spit.

"What?! _Why?!"_

"So he'll know what you want from him. Right now, he's confused as hell because you kissed him."

Daniel put his head in his hands, his face heating up again. _"Please don't talk about that…"_

"I can't do that. It's important to the discussion." The blonde stated. "Most of the problems Ciel and I have had were due to communication. Sometimes, we just really aren't clear in conveying our intentions, so we get mixed up and confused, which sometimes causes us to fight. Remember when we fought in _Rio De Jeneiro?_ That was a communication problem. Once we were honest with each other and made it clear what we wanted from each other, we were able to make a compromise. Understand?"

"So… I _have_ to talk to Kris?" inquired the Westley.

"Mate, what did I_ just_ say?" spoke the blonde, flicking his friend's forehead. "Make your intentions clear, dumbass."

"But, when should I do it?"

"As soon as possible." Alois stated. "Oh wait, do you mean '_how'?_ Easy. When you get home, look at Kris and say '_Look, we need to talk. I wanna fix this'_ and then tell him what you want." Alois paused before adding: "..._What you really, really want." _He grinned as he made the other man laugh.

"Alright, I get it." His friend replied. "I'll talk to him sometime. _Ow!"_ He rubbed his forehead as the blonde flicked it again.

"_Tonight."_ Alois corrected. "Do it tonight, because if you don't, you'll be more likely to chicken out."

"Okay, okay, I'll do it when I get home." Answered Daniel.

"Good boy." The menace said, standing up and playfully patting his friend on the head. "You do that, and I'll finish this murder case I'm on and give these curry buns to my lovely wife and kids."

"Wait, right now?!" the brunet asked, sitting straight up.

"Whenever you get home, yeah. You don't need me to babysit you, do you?" his friend asked, holding up his bag.

"It's getting dark, it's cold out here, and _hot buns are best buns_." Alois said, patting his bag before turning to leave. "I wish you luck on your quest, good sir!"

He was watched for a few moments as he walked down the sidewalk again by the Westley gentleman. Soon, he was gone, completely, leaving Daniel by himself. The brunet sat there on the bench alone with his thoughts as he pondered as to what he was going to say to Kristopherson when he got home. The autumn wind rattled his bones, along with his nerves. He was nervous, but somehow, less afraid.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, hey... I didn't see you there...  
**

**Pretty sure "_hot buns are best buns_" is now one of my favourite Alois-isms...**

**Yeah, there was a TBS reference in there. Not sorry. That shit is hilarious.**

**Ah... Let's see... what else is there?**

**No questions, so I guess I'll just see you in the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	11. Not Exactly According To Plan

It was getting late. The sun had already begun to set and it was getting colder. The wind whipped at the Westley gentleman's face, even as he pulled his hood back over his head. It wasn't a long walk home, but it felt even shorter with the brunet's mind racing a mile a minute. He was rehearsing what he was going to say when he walked through the door in his head, even as he walked into the apartment building.

Daniel took his hood off as he walked inside. He was debating as to whether or not he should take the elevator, or the stairs. Even though he walked home, the stairs would buy him more time to stall. Thus, his choice was obvious. Sluggishly, the Westley made his way up several flights of stairs to the third floor, and upon reaching it, he was bombarded with the sound of a base reverberating through the hallway. Daniel couldn't help but roll his eyes at it.

The man who lived next door to he and Kris was in a band, and from the sounds he assaulted them with, he played the base. He was friendly, but Daniel didn't much care for his music. IT was possible that it was because he could only hear the base, but when his bandmates were over, their tunes seemed pretty predictable. Daniel and Kristopherson often made fun of it; at least, until they stopped talking. Maybe Daniel could break the ice by joking about the neighbour's music?

Too late. He had already planned out what he was going to say, and it was far too late to change it, as he was only a few feet from the door to his flat. His eyes flickered to the apartment next to his briefly as he reached out to grip the doorknob. He didn't know if he was looking for an excuse to save him from what he was about to do, or what he was expecting, but eventually, he had to go inside.

The Westley twisted the doorknob and walked through the frame, closing the barrier behind him before glancing over at the couch. Strangely, the Faux-blonde wasn't there, causing the man to furrow his brow in confusion. He then turned to walk to his room so he could wait on his friend, only to nearly jump out of his skin when Kristopherson was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Understandably, the pink-loving gentleman was surprised by the Westley's absurd reaction.

He was standing in a pink T-shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair was combed as well, so Kristopherson must have gone to school that day instead of skipping. Brown eyes examined the Westley's form with both curiosity and concern as the brunet gripped his chest and leaned with his back against the door.

"You alright?" Kristopherson asked with an eyebrow arched. Daniel had not planned on this, and immediately had to reevaluate his plan.

"Yeah… I mean, no, I mean… Uh…" the brunet fumbled, trying to steer things in the direction that he wanted to go. He looked up to see the look of concern on the other man's face fall, only to be replaced with a more somber-looking one. This was going horribly.

"Look…" Kristopherson began, averting his eyes. "If you don't like being here, then why don't you just… _move out?"_

It hurt to suggest, but the faux-blonde noticed how the boy acted when he saw him. Daniel even left to go on a walk. He never does that. Obviously, he just wanted to be away from Kristopherson. While that was true, it wasn't for the reason that the Miles man thought. Daniel's eyes widened at the other man's words.

"That not it!" he said without thinking. "I want to stay! Unless… unless _you _want me to leave."

"I don't care either way." Kristopherson lied. "You just don't seem to like being around me anymore…"

"That's only because I don't know how to talk to you! You make me feel all nervous and weird!" blurted out the Westley.

Immediately, upon catching himself, he clasped his hand over his mouth as if he were trying to put the words he just spoke back. He wanted to talk to Kristopherson again, but immediately upon managing to do so, he spoke without a filter just as he always did. Hesitantly, he looked up at the man on the other side of the room again, only to see Kristopherson looking back at him with wide eyes. The Miles' cheeks were just as pink as his shirt, only to be matched by the brunet as well. After a few moments of silence, Kristopherson sighed and looked at the ground.

"Look… if you're weirded out by… that… that thing at the castle…" he began. "Just don't worry about it…"

"But… but I really upset you and I…" Daniel trailed off, not quite knowing how to continue.

"Well, yeah I was upset." His friend replied bashfully. "I was already stressed out and I didn't expect m first kiss to be with my straight best friend."

The brunet perked up at that. Did Kristopherson just call him his "best friend"? Even after all of that? The nonchalant tone in the Miles' voice was somehow discouraging, though. Was it really not that big of a deal to him? Daniel wasn't sure why, but for some reason, that was a bit disappointing. He looked at the floor, unsure as to how to answer that. After a few moments, Kristopherson continued, leaning against the doorframe.

"Don't worry, I won't tell Anna about it." He said, causing a pang of guilt to run through the other man.

Daniel had completely forgotten about his girlfriend. How would she react if he _didn't_ want the kiss to mean nothing to her brother? They had been dating off and on all throughout secondary school, but surely that would be the last straw.

"Look, you're straight, so what's it matter to you?" asked Kristopherson. "That was nothing, so it doesn't count to you. You should be more concerned about kissing your girlfriend."

"Does it count to _you_, though?" Daniel inquired. Curiously, he looked up, only to see the other man's blush darken and his body tense up.

"_N-not really…"_ The faux-blonde lied, looking to the side. Even someone as dense as Daniel Westley could tell that he was telling a fib. In his excitement toward the discovery, he couldn't help but call Kristopherson out on it.

"_You're lying_." He said, a faint smile appearing on his face. It faded, however, as Kristopherson stood up straight and frowned.

"I am _not!" _the Miles gentleman declared, clenching his fists. "What? Did you think I _liked_ you, or something?! As if! Even if I did, I still wouldn't! You're straight and you like Anna! It would be pointless!" A look of surprise befell the Westley as he reached an epiphany.

"That's it…" he said under his breath. "That's why…"

"'_Why'_ what?!" demanded the faux-blonde.

"You're scared of moving forward, just like me." Daniel said. "You _can't_ like me because you might hurt Anna and push me away."

"Don't bullshit yourself…"

"You kissed me back, though." Accused the brunet. "I remember. You kissed back and even hugged me. Why would you do that?"

"I don't know!" Kristopherson answered. "It was just instinct!"

"You hesitated, though." Daniel said, pointing at the man and taking a step forward. "You knew what you what was going on, and knowing you, if you weren't interested in a guy, you would have thrown them across the room for that, but you didn't. Why else would you have done that?"

"I dunno, I was just as out of it as you were!"

"You hesitated!" the Westley said again, continuing to walk forward. With every step he took, the faux-blonde took one backward. "If you were out of it, you wouldn't have! Why?!"

"I don't know!" Kristopherson barked.

"You _do_ know!" Daniel replied. "I may not be the smartest guy, but I know _you!"_

"Leave me alone!"

"I can't! I have to know!"

"_Then tell me why you kissed me!"_ his friend said, attempting to turn the tables. Eventually, though, he ran out of floor and backed into the refrigerator. He had nowhere to go, and Daniel was still walking toward him. He shut his eyes. "I at least deserve that much!"

To that, the Westley stopped for a moment, trying to formulate the best response. What was he going to say? What had Alois said?

"_Most of the problems Ciel and I have had were due to communication. Sometimes, we just really aren't clear in conveying our intentions, so we get mixed up and confused, which sometimes causes us to fight. Remember when we fought in Rio De Jeneiro? That was a communication problem. __**Once we were honest with each other and made it clear what we wanted from each other, we were able to make a compromise."**_

Upon remembering that, Daniel knew exactly what he needed to say. He had to answer with complete honesty, and there was no other way. The Westley walked forward again until he was standing right in front of the other man, staring him straight in the face. Even though Kristopherson had his eyes shut, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Because I wanted to." He said simply. "I was just so happy to see that you were okay. Seeing you made me the happiest, and when I saw your face… I just… really wanted to kiss you."

Once he said that, he watched as the faux-blonde relaxed a bit. Kristopherson opened his eyes just enough to that he could see Daniel through his eyelashes. After a few moments of silence, he somehow managed to answer.

"But… why a kiss?" he asked, startled by how weak his voice sounded. His eyes stung and it was getting hard to see his roommate. Daniel paused.

"I… I'm not really sure of that, yet." He admitted. "I'm still trying to figure it out. I just… wanted to kiss you; I _still_ want to kiss you." His face was completely red at this point and his heart felt like it was going to explode at any second. Daniel looked to the ground.

"I'm not sure if it's… y'know… in a gay way, yet, but…" the Westley continued, pausing before taking another deep breath. "…I… I-I think I like you in a way that I don't like Anna. You make me feel _weird_ and she doesn't..."

It was those words that made Kristopherson so shocked, that he lost all of his own. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open, slightly. He wasn't sure if he heard his friend correctly, but he sure hoped he did. Daniel waited for the faux-blonde to reply, feeling less confident with each agonizing second that passed. He closed his eyes, but seconds later, a hand lightly impacted his cheek. He looked up to see Kristopherson staring straight at him.

"What was that for?!" demanded the Westley.

"_For being an idiot."_ Bluntly answered his friend. With his other hand, Kristopherson playfully slapped the brunet's other cheek. "And that's for being a dick about it."

"Are you done yet?"

"Nope. A few more." Kristopherson replied, slapping Daniel's other cheek again before slapping the other. "That's for my sister, and that's because I felt like it."

Finally, he stepped forward, removing himself from the refrigerator door and forcing the other man back. Daniel didn't get far, however, as the faux-blonde took his cheeks in his hands and gently pressed their lips together. After a moment, the brunet's eyes fluttered closed and he kissed Kristopherson back, wrapping his arms around the other man's waist. It didn't last, however, as the Miles gentleman soon pulled away.

"And _that's_ because I like you." Kristopherson stated. He rested his hands on the brunet's shoulders and looked away, embarrassed by his words and actions. He could feel Daniel staring at him, but couldn't see how bright red his face was.

"Oh, God…" the Westley said. "I'm totally gay for you…" he added, causing his friend to look at him again.

"You can't be!" Kristopherson declared. "What about Anna?!"

"Shit… what do I do?" Daniel answered, mostly to himself. "I shouldn't go out with her if I don't like her, but it'd be weird to dump her for her brother…"

"Don't lead her on, you dick! And who said we're going out?!"

"Huh?! You… You don't want to?" bashfully asked the brunet. Now he had made a terrible mistake. Kristopherson furrowed his brow and stabbed the Westley in the chest with his finger.

"I will not go out with you until you've solved this thing with my sister." He scolded. "I refuse to be a mistress!"

"But you kissed me knowing that I'm still with Anna, though?"

"Shut up!"

"But you fancy me though?"

"_I said shut up!" _

* * *

**A/N: THESE FUCKING NERDS.**

**UGH. IT'S DISGUSTING.**

**I LOVE IT.**

**Oh, Dan, you're still in deep shit...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~! **

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question(s): **"Hmm...Wait. when did CIEL become the wife? Alois, is there ANYTHING you want for your birthday? Sebby, you don't like the taste of human food? That sucks. Like, a lot."** by Vannaluv  
_

_Ciel's Answer:"I didn't. He was only joking. We're both men, so that's impossible, and we aren't married..."  
_

_Alois' Answer:"Eh, I dunno? A date-night that doesn't end in terrorist activity?"  
_

_Sebastian's Answer:"I've never acquired a taste for it. It's incredibly bland when compared to a soul."_


	12. The Prettiest Girl

Sebastian agreed to help. It was a relief, even though Ciel had fought for so long in the past to organize these operations himself. The bluenette supposed it didn't really matter either way. His butler always ended up assisting him, regardless, as the older demon obviously had more skill in arranging things in an aesthetically pleasing manner that was suitable for everyone's tastes. This was an event for a toy company after all.

With this, Ciel was freer to think about his beau's birthday. Naturally, he had to focus on other tasks in regards to the anniversary of FUNTOM as well, but he didn't want to forget. He objective for the anniversary was obvious, but what did he need to do for Alois?

Once he was done with his work on his FUNTOM project, he began to think about it. He didn't get to for very long, as he sensed the other man's presence when he walked through the front door of the mansion. With their contract, he could sense the blonde menace with ease. It was useful for avoiding the Macken's surprise-attacks. Even with this, however, he couldn't hear what the blonde was doing from the ground floor.

"I'm home~!" Alois called, alerting the attention of a few of the others in the house, particularly Sebastian.

"Welcome back." Sebastian greeted. He looked down at the bag in the younger demon's hand. "Didn't you go out for a murder investigation?" he teasingly asked.

"Yeah, but there were snacks on the way." Alois replied, taking off his coat. "I would have brought you something, but I didn't know what you'd want because you don't eat human food. Tell me what you want, and I'll bring it next time, though."

"How thoughtful, but I'm afraid that I can't think of anything." The butler stated. While the blonde dug into the bag. He pulled out a small box with a curry bun in it before handing the rest to the raven-haired man.

"Suit yourself." Alois said. "Can you give those to Luka and Revy? I have to go give my report and my bribe to my '_boss'_." He jested, holding up the box in his hand. Sebastian smiled.

"Consider it done." The older man answered. "What, pray tell, do you need to bribe the master for, though?"

"I dunno. Could be useful, though." Joked the blonde. "Maybe if I give him enough snacks, he'll replace the Royce sooner."

"Please tell me you brought the Mercedes back in one piece…" Sebastian said, rubbing his forehead. His arm moved up instinctively to catch the car keys that were thrown at him. The man looked over to see the blonde menace already halfway up the stairs.

"Yep. No terrorist activity today." Alois answered before turning to continue his ascension.

Alois climbed the stairs and walked to the Phantomhive's office. As per usual, the menace didn't bother knocking and simply swung the door open. Ciel didn't even flinch. Thus, the Macken simply waltzed into the room, box of curry-bread in hand.

_ "'Sup, dawg~?"_ the blonde playfully called, causing the bluenette to chuckle.

"Please don't talk like that." He said.

"Don't be hatin', bro." Alois replied. He walked over to the Phantomhive's desk and put the box down in front of the other man. "That's for you…" he said before pulling out the map that he marked with all of the security camera locations and set it down alongside it. "…and so is that."

"Progression of a murder case and food?" his beau mused. "My, you certainly know how to make a girl feel special."

"Of course I do, 'cause she's the prettiest in the whole wide world~!" The blonde jested back, pecking the other man on the lips. "I must cherish her, or she may leave me for another man!"

"I don't think that's likely." Ciel replied, picking up the paper with the marks on it. "You're the only one who really _gets_ me."

"By romantically helping you with murder?"

"Precisely." The bluenette stated, glancing over the map. "Are these the locations of all of the cameras?"

"Yeah. There weren't a whole lot, but they got some pretty sweet angles on them." Alois replied as he sat down on one of the room's couches. "I would have asked for the footage, but I didn't know the time range."

"Sorry, I forgot to text you. The time of death was around three-forty-five in the afternoon the day before Dinsdale's arrest." His beau presented. "Could you go get the footage tomorrow? I'm more swamped than I thought…"

"No problem." The blonde said. "Remind me, though. I might forget on my way back from class."

"Thank you, kindly." Ciel answered, setting the paper down and leaning back in his chair. He reached over and grabbed the box that his boyfriend had brought him before opening it. A FUNTOM curry-bun? Maybe this would help him focus on organizing his silly party.

He was about to bite into the treat before pausing, looking over at the menace. He arched an eyebrow and asked: "Didn't you get one for yourself?"

"Huh? Oh, I ate it on the way back." Alois lied. In response, stood up before walking over to take a seat on the couch next to him. To the blonde's surprise, he began to tear the bun in half, being careful to make sure none of the curry fell in his lap.

"Here." Ciel said, handing one half to the blonde. "Don't think I can't tell when you're lying." With a giggle, Alois took it.

"How'd you know?"

"When you kissed me, you didn't taste like curry." The Phantomhive answered before taking a bite. "If you had eaten it, you would have."

"Ah, so the famous detective, Senior Detective Constable Sir Doctor Ciel Phantomhive strikes again!" Alois mused while doing the same. He didn't wait until he was finished chewing before continuing, though. "I ran into Dan and he look like he wanted to hang himself."

"Things still not going well for him and Kristopherson?"

"He asked me for advice on how to fix it, and seemed to take it to heart." Alois swallowed. "I dunno if he actually followed through when he got home, though."

"Guess we'll find out."

"He's obviously super-gay for Kris though."

"It's a wonder he was the only one who didn't know about Kris' feelings for him." Ciel pointed out. All of their friends had their suspicions about the pair, and now it was simply confirmed. "Think he'll find out soon?"

"I bet he won't." Alois replied, causing the bluenette to smile.

"I'll take that bet." The Phantomhive stated. "I think he'll figure it out, and I think that you'll be the first one he tells about it."

"Are we betting the usual?"

"Most definitely." Ciel declared. "Loser is the victor's servant for a day."

"Ha! I look forward to seeing you in that butler outfit!" the menace said, throwing his head back as he scoffed. He took another bite of his half of curry-bun. "So how's your thing goin'?"

"The party?" asked the Phantomhive. "It's alright. I had to ask Sebastian to help, but it's going well. We should be ready."

"Aw, you're not going to ask me to help?" asked the blonde.

"Of course not. I'm going to be having you running around and resolving this murder case for me." Answered the bluenette. His single eye looked over to his beau as excitement washed over the blonde's face.

"Really?!" Alois asked. "I get to solve it?!"

"It's already solved, but I need you to prove it." The Phantomhive answered. "It shouldn't take much time or effort. You'll be done in no time."

"Ugh!" groaned the menace, leaning his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. "You had all the fun and now you're leaving me with the boring bits?!"

"Well, if you put it that way, yes."

"Ass." The Macken accused, finishing up his snack. With that, he stretched a bit before laying down and resting this head in the other man's lap.

"I love you too, Jimmy." Answered Ciel, wiping away a stray speck of curry on the blonde's face with his thumb before licking it. "It's important work. I certainly don't trust _Michael_ to do it correctly."

"You really don't think he's good for much, do you?"

"Not really." Spoke the Phantomhive, putting the last piece of bread in his mouth. "He's too… _soft."_

"So you think detective work should be left to hardened criminals?"

"Of course. Who better to know about how a crime was carried out than a criminal?"

"Are you saying that I'm one? How cruel!"

"Jim, you've killed people…"

"In self-defense." The blonde pointed out.

"You went with me on an assassination attempt."

"_Details."_ Alois jested with a playful rolling of his eyes. He was about to open his mouth and say something else, when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Begrudgingly, he took it out and placed the device up to his ear, all while keeping his comfortable spot using Ciel as a pillow.

"Yes?" he called, already knowing who it was because he read the name before answering.

"Hey, it's me." Said Daniel on the other end. "Thanks for the help, earlier."

"Did everything go okay?" asked the blonde.

"Yeah! It went great." The Westley replied, causing his friend to smile. "Kris and I are friends again, but there's one tiny problem…"

"Yeah, and what's that?"

"Uh… we kinda… like each other in a… gay way, but I'm still dating his sister?"

"What?!" Alois demanded, sitting straight up at the news.

"Hey! I didn't judge you when you went gay for Ciel!" the brunet said on the other end of the line.

"No, no! Not that, but you're seeing each other?! While having a girlfriend?!"

"Uh, not exactly. He won't go out with me until I fix this thing with Anna, first…" the Westley said bashfully. "Wait, why aren't you surprised?"

"Mate, we've _all_ been suspicious about your sexuality for quite a while." Pointed out the Macken. "This isn't shocking in the slightest."

"What the fuck?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"What was I supposed to say?! 'Hey, Dan, we know you totally wanna snog with Kris even though you don't know it yourself yet'!?"

"I dunno! Just-! Ugh!" Daniel groaned. "Listen, you helped me out with Kris, so, d'ya think you might have any ideas on how to tell Anna?"

"Tell her that you fancy her brother and that it's not her, it's you and your sick perversions." Alois blurted out.

"I can't do that!"

"Then enjoy not smoochin' your mistress!" the blonde said over the phone as his beau wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and listened in as well. "The advice stays the same! Coming clean is the easiest way to solve it."

"But won't she be mad at me?" Daniel asked.

"Probably not. If we were suspicious, she might be, too. She probably already knows about Kris, but hasn't said anything. It's not like she can come up to you and say: _'Hey, Dan, I'm breaking up with you because I think you might be lusting after my brother's sweet ass'_."

"I do not _lust _after it!" the Westley protested. "And don't talk about his ass like that!"

"Oh, so you're just possessive of it?" Alois teased. "Listen, I gotta go. Murder and stuff."

"Yeah, yeah, I can _hear_ Ciel breathing into the phone, you know…"

"Sorry, Daniel. I was curious." The bluenette said.

"A likely story…" the brunet accused. "Later, then."

"Bye, Dan. Welcome to the homo-club." Alois said, pressing the "_end call_" button before his friend could complain. He set the phone on the coffee table before leaning his back into Ciel. He reached behind him to play with the bluenette locks on the head that was currently resting on his shoulder.

"So homo." He mused. Causing the Phantomhive to chuckle. When the other man looked at him with a smirk, he arched an eyebrow in confusion. It slowly dawned on him as he thought, however, causing his cheeks to turn pink. Ciel's grin only widened.

"You lost the bet, and it's only been a little over five minutes." He teased, enjoying the expression on his beau's face.

"Nguhhhh! Do I _have_ to?" Alois whined. Then, a look of horror appeared on his visage as another realization entered his thoughts. He turned to face the Phantomhive. "Wait, what about school?! I'm not wearing that to class!"

"Don't worry." Ciel cooed, running a hand through his lover's hair. "I never said what day. How about Saturday? That way, you don't have to leave your post and can serve me properly."

"Pervert." Accused the menace.

"I never said I was going to do anything perverted. I'll just take great enjoyment in making you waiting on me hand and foot."

"So you _do_ get off on this?!"

"And why did _you_ want to win, exactly?" asked the watchdog. "What pure, innocent motive did you have?" He chuckled as the other man looked away.

"_Shut up_…" the blonde answered.

"You're just as sinful and horrid as I am." Ciel mused, kissing the Macken's cheek. "That's part of the reason why I love you, I suppose."

"You're a jerk!"

"You love me though."

"I don't know _why!"_ Alois declared.

"I thought it was because I'm '_the prettiest girl in the whole wide world'?"_

"Fuck you!"

"Ah, so_ that_ was your motive…"

_"GAH!"_

* * *

**A/N: Oh, how the tables have turned...  
**

**Ah, we'll get to murder, soon, I promised. I just needed to clarify Daniel's whole situation.**

**I probably won't even show Alois in the butler uniform...**

**Murder, murder, murder... I want my murder... **

**I guess the reason for all of this fluff is because the ending of DLTD was so heavy for so long...**

**Sorry 'bout that. I'll get back to DEATH soon.**

**Until then, my duckies~!**


	13. Unkown

"_Ciel!"_ the blonde called, barging into the other man's office. Ordinarily, the Phantomhive wouldn't have jumped, but he didn't expect Alois to be so explosive in his entry.

Alois had just gotten home from school, and just as promised, he was reminded by the bluenette to obtain the security footage from the specified time and date. With a smug look, the Macken held up a small flashdrive before walking over and plugging it into the bluenette's computer. He began uploading files from it onto the other man's desktop.

"What is it?" Ciel asked.

"You're going to be mad~!" the blonde said in a sing-song voice.

"What is it, though?" his beau asked again as a video started playing. Turning his attention to the screen, he saw the victim walking by the bank. The only problem was, Missus Stephanie Dinsdale wasn't in the picture.

"Dinsdale's not there." Alois said, putting his hands up in the air. "The murderer is still out there~!"

"Then who is it?" inquired Ciel, looking up at the Macken, causing the man to smile.

"Look closely." The menace instructed, replaying the clip. "The victim keeps stopping every few feet to look around, before looking at their cell phone. It looks like they were trying to meet up with someone."

"And that would be who, exactly?"

"Dunno." Alois said bluntly. "But, if I can get my hands on the victim's phone, I might be able to find out!"

"Good work. I'll tell Michael to get it to you." The Phantomhive stated, reaching for his phone.

"Ugh! Do I have to wait? Why can't I just go down to the station and get it _now?"_

"Well, you can, but are do you really want to go out again after _just_ getting home?" Ciel questioned.

"Oh, my darling Cielykins, if you want me to stay, then just say so!" the menace teased. He was obviously excited. Never before had he gone out and solved a case on his own, before and even though Ciel had done part of the work, he was eager to reach the case's conclusion quickly for no other reason than that he wanted to have solved one!

"It's not that I especially want you to stay…" replied the Phantomhive as his beau placed a kiss to his cheek. "If you need to work, then work. I don't need you to babysit me."

"Oh, so it's okay for me to move out, then?" Alois jested. "You wound me, Ciel!"

"No, you still have to live here. It just gets kind of boring during the day…" admitted the bluenette.

"Oh my god, Ciel, you're such a puppy…" the Macken stated, causing a small blush to form on the watchdog's cheeks. "Are you saying you get lonely without me here to pester you? You're so cute."

"_Maybe…"_ Ciel answered under his breath. "I'll be fine until you get back. It's not like you'll be staying out all night."

"Mm-hm. Nighttime is the time when I'm all yours, after all." Alois said, talking advantage of the beginnings of the bluenette trying to protest in order to kiss the man. When he pulled away, he added: "Don't you worry, m'dear, I'll be back to cuddle the crap out of you soon."

With a laugh, he made his way toward the door once more. He waved before shutting it again, leaving the bluenette staring after him. A chuckle came over the Phantomhive, however, after he processed what had just happened. Truly, he fell in love with a troublesome person, hadn't he?

Said person was now making his way back down the stairs and out the door before getting back into the Phantomhive Mercedes Benz. As much as Alois wanted to stay home and laze about, he also wanted this case to be solved. It was exciting! He had another semi-solo act and this time, his beau would actually be able to see it!

He made his way to the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, and thankfully, the bluenette had called ahead anyway, so he was let right in. He headed up to the murder/homicide investigation department and simply waltzed into the Bailey gentleman's office. The careless manner in which he did so caused the human detective to jump. Who does that? Who just barges into someone's office in a silly manner and sits down? Apparently, the answer was Detective Constable Jim Macken, also known as "_Alois Trancy_". Michael had been warned about his appearance, but didn't expect the blonde to be here so soon.

"Uhm…" began the human. "You're here about… the victim's cellphone, right?"

"Correct." Alois replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other. "Oh, if it's at all possible, can I also have the suspect's? I wanna compare, just to be on the safe side."

"I can get you the victim's phone, but getting the suspect's is against protocol…"

"Where are they?"

"In the evidence room, but-" Before the man could finish, Alois stood up and headed out the door. Bailey stood up and peeked his head out of his office to see the blonde walking down the hall, heading straight for the evidence room.

"Hey!" the human detective called out, taking off after him. He finally caught up and paced alongside the demon. "You can't take the suspect's property! It's against the rules!"

"The rules are in my way." The menace answered. "Playing by stupid rules is something that I don't know how to do." Finally he and the Bailey reached the door of the evidence room and Alois slid his I.D. card to unlock the door.

"They aren't stupid! People deserve privacy!" Bailey said, only to have the door slammed in his face. He looked up to see the Macken standing on the other side through the small slit of glass in the door, only to hear a small _click_. Michael looked down again and tried to remove the barrier in front of him, only to see that the devil had locked him out.

Alois offered him a mischievous wave before turning around and raiding everything, searching for two cellphones. Through cabinets and plastic bins, he searched, all while ignoring the banging on the door from a rather upset detective. When the man started shouting at him, he actually laughed.

Eventually, he found a bin with the case number and the victim's name taped to it. Alois quickly rummaged through it, eventually finding a cell phone. He turned on the device to check it, and to his strange delight, the background was set to a picture of the victim, and a girl who he could assume was his girlfriend. He made a face and sucked in air through his teeth at the sight before putting the device in his pocket.

"Sorry, girlfriend; I'm gonna go through your man's texts." He said, mostly to himself, before putting the lid back on the bin and putting it back where he found it. After more digging, he found a bin with the name "Stephanie Dinsdale" on it, and dug through it as well. When he found her cell phone, he turned it on and pulled the other one out of his pocket again before going through the recent texts.

"Let's see, what we got?" Alois asked to no one. He read the messages on the victim's phone, and sure enough, he had plans to meet someone at the murder scene. None of the messages, however, appeared on Dinsdales phone.

Assuming the woman deleted them, he scrolled through to find the victim's name and pressed the "call" button. He set both phones down on the table and listened to the victim's phone ring. Dinsdale's number came up as "_unknown."_ It was odd, seeing as though he had been texting someone with Dinsdale's name. Ciel's theory of an accomplice was starting to look pretty good. The question was: who was it?

Alois put Dinsdale's phone back and took the victim's with him, finally unlocking the door and letting the other detective in. As soon as he did, however, he walked right by the man, furrowing his brow in thought. He didn't get far, as Bailey had the audacity to stop him, even going as far as to grab his arm!

"Hey!" the man nearly barked. "You can't do that!"

"Just did." The blonde said, but it was then that he got an idea. He pulled out his memopad and quickly jotted down the number listed as Dinsdale's and shoved it in the human's face. "Find out who this phone number belongs to, alright?"

"You aren't listening!" Michael protested, taking the slip of paper regardless. "Follow the rules, or I will report you!" To that, the blonde menace stepped forward, getting in the other man's personal space.

"_To who?"_ he asked with feigned innocence.

He was right. There wasn't anyone who Detective Bailey could report him to, and the people who he _could_ wouldn't care. Bailey is too much of a small fry and the Round Table has had the demons do far worse crimes than stealing from the police. To the human's displeasure, Alois laughed when he failed to formulate an answer, causing him to furrow his brow.

"Just get me the identity of the person who has that cellphone number and we'll have our next suspect." The blonde stated. With that, he turned to walk away, keeping the victim's cellphone in his pocket. Now, he could finally go home.

"_You're a monster_…" detective Bailey said, becoming frightened when the demon stopped dead in his tacks at the accusation. Somehow, the statement made Alois angry, as if he had been intentionally addressed by the wrong title.

"Believing that morality is simply black and white is naïve, Mister Bailey." Said the Macken. He turned to look at the other man from over his shoulder. "Stop wasting your time worrying about small injustices and look at the bigger picture. What's worse, my stealing a phone, or the fact that five people are dead? Between me and the murderer, who's the _real_ monster, Mister Bailey?"

Detective Bailey simply stood, open-mouthed for a moment. "I'm sorry." He said.

"Good. Catching murderers is what you get paid to do. If you can't do that, then I suggest you seek employment elsewhere." With that, the blonde left the human in stunned silence.

* * *

**A/N: Serious Alois is an odd Alois...  
**

**Had Ciel been there, he'd probably get a boner from that...**

**Weirdos...**

**Anyways, questions?**

_**"Are Amelie and Charlotte going to show up? And does all of Ciel's income come from Funtom and being a detective, or does he/his 'family' have other sources?" by Honeycloud of RiverClan**_

**Yeah, eventually. Ciel also participates in... less than "legal" business practices, like many CEOs, so not all of the money comes from those two places...  
**

_**"A question for Hate, I don't know why I remeber this but back in chapter 10 you mentioned a store called The Body Shoppe. Is that of any reference to the fanfiction with the same title?" by Happily Rainbow**_

**Yea. DLTD is the number two most-reviewed Kuro fic, while TBS is number one. Just a little joke at that.  
**

** It's the only thing SebCiel that I read. The dialogue is fucking hilarious, to the point where I have actually laughed out loud at it. I keep reading for that, but admittedly, the sex scenes just remind me of why I chose not to pursue a medical degree... I tend to skip them, I'm sorry. They're just too out-there for my more_ delicate_ tastes.  
**

**Still not at all big on SebCiel, but TBS is an exception, though.  
**

_**"Hey, hate-sempai... Did you have this kiss planned or did it just happen as you typed?" by ReadandWrite11**_

**No, I didn't, actually. The DanKris kiss in chapter 11 wasn't really planned. It just sort of happened while I was typing because I just stopped for a second and was like: "You know what would be cute?"**

**That's basically how I type most of the time...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	14. Complaint and Planning

The next morning, Alois was abruptly awakened by not the sound of his alarm, but the sound of his cellphone going off. He groaned and rolled over, wrapping his arms around the bluenette nestled at his side while attempting to ignore the device until it stopped ringing. Since the blonde didn't have class until later, that day, he was most certainly not going to get up.

His beau, however, had other ideas, rolling his eyes at the Macken's silly actions. With a small grunt, he propped himself up on his elbow and reached over the other man to pick the phone up off of the blonde's nightstand. Ciel laid back down on his back, allowing the menace to continue to cuddle while he put his beau's phone up to his ear.

"Hello, Michael." Greeted the bluenette, much to the confusion of his human coworker.

"Phantomhive? I'm sorry, I thought this was Macken's number." Detective Bailey answered on the other end.

"It is. He's just being difficult, and refused to get up and answer it." Ciel replied with a chuckle. "What do you need?"

"Detective Macken told me to identify the owner of a phone-number he gave me…"

"The one who was messaging Baxter?" inquired the watchdog, lazily playing with his beau's hair. Alois had told him what he had accomplished when he returned home the previous afternoon. "Did you find it?"

"Yes, and get this; it belongs to Dinsdale's husband!" Michael said. "We have him in custody, and went through his text messages to confirm. We're still looking for a motive, however."

"Good work. I'll tell Jim when he wakes up. He might be able to figure something out."

"Yeah… Good luck with that…" the human said in an uncertain voice. The bluenette furrowed his brow in confusion before hanging up and leaning over again to place the mobile phone back where he found it. Ciel laid back down and looked over at his boyfriend.

"Alright, what did you do to Bailey?" he asked, causing the blonde to smile without opening his eyes.

"He said he wouldn't let me just take Dinsdale's phone because it was _'against the rules'_." Alois replied. He let out a sigh and nuzzled the Phantomhive before continuing. "So I told him that he needs to quit if he can't do what it takes to catch a murderer."

"How cruel." the watchdog mused. "I wish I could have seen that."

"Mm-hm…" hummed Alois as he proceeded to make himself comfortable again. Unfortunately, he was forced to stir his partner chuckled.

"Well, you certainly don't seem very bothered." Ciel pointed out.

"Are you suggesting that I should give up my soft, comfy warm-spot so I can solve a murder?"

"It's already been solved; all but a motive. Probably nothing an interrogation won't fix. You can do that after school, can't you?"

"Sure. So who done it?"

"The number you gave Bailey belonged to Dinsdale's husband." The bluenette stated. "He was most likely an accomplice, so it's best to interview both of them. Preferably separately."

"Consider it done." Alois replied. Blindly, he reached to pull the covers back over them both. "When should you be getting up to work on your party-thingy?"

"Just whenever. I normally get up around the same time you do, don't I?"

"I forgot."

"Are you really sleepy, or are you just cuddling?"

"You love my cuddles, and you know it." The blonde said, smiling as his beau chuckled.

"I suppose you're right." Ciel answered, pecking the forehead of the menace. He paused as he walked himself through what all needed to be done that day. As he did so, a thought occurred to him.

"By the way, your birthday is in a few weeks." The Phantomhive said. "Is there anything you want? Don't say '_nothing_', or '_you've already given me anything_', either." The blonde laughed at the bluenette's added terms and conditions.

"I dunno…" he answered. "Maybe a datenight that doesn't end in terrorist activity?"

"_Consider it done_." Replied the watchdog, imitating the menace from earlier. It forced the blonde to giggle and finally open his eyes. He only laughed harder when he saw the bluenette's face. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Alois stated. "It's just, how in blazes did we go from trying to kill each other to talking in bed like a married couple?" The face of his beau heated up from the question.

"I don't know…" Ciel quickly said, embarrassed by the prospect of becoming the blonde's husband, and even more embarrassed by the fact that he somewhat like the idea. "Time changes things, I guess?"

"Mhm. I feel kind of bad for Revy, though. He still has the thread that sewed me up after you stabbed me."

"_Sorry…"_

"It's in the past. Water under the bridge. I trust you, now." Spoke the Macken. He paused for a moment too examine the other man's features.

"God, you're so gorgeous." He said absent-mindedly. It wasn't intentional, but he was amused all the same when the Phantomhive's face turned red.

"_I am not_." Ciel declared. While he was pleased with the other's flattery, he didn't believe it.

"You are, though!" insisted his boyfriend. The Macken propped himself on his elbows and hovered over the other man. "You'd belong in a gallery if you wouldn't run away!"

"Charming. Are you awake, now? If so, then why don't we get to wo-_oof!"_ The Phantomhive uttered a small grunt when Alois plopped down on top of him.

"I don't wanna!" whined the fair-haired demon.

"Can you at least get off of me?"

"Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"A little."

"Then_ no_." A yelp escaped the blonde's lips as he was flipped over on his back with the other on top of him. Ciel peered down at the younger demon and smiled.

"We both have work to do." Ciel said. "You and I both know that we can't simply stay in bed all day."

"Not even a few more minutes?"

"If I know you- and I do- '_minutes_' will quickly become '_hours_', and nothing will get done."

"Fine…" grumbled the menace. "Do I at least get my _'good morning'_ kiss?" Alois asked, prompting the bluenette to lean down and press their lips together.

"_Now get up."_ The Phantomhive instructed, moving to get off of his beau. Much to his pleasure, he didn't even have to look to know that a pout had appeared on the other demon's face.

Sure enough, hours soon passed, and by this time, both men were at work; or rather, one of them was, while the other simply lazed about on the sofa until it was time for him to leave for school. Even though he was fully dressed and ready to go, it appeared as though the blonde were still sleeping. It only made Ciel roll his eyes as he attempted to organise the sort of products that he wanted to showcase at the anniversary party. Papers were scattered all over his desk with the designs of all of the toys, candies, and perfumes that FUNTOM had come out with in the past year. There were samples in boxes on the floor, which he really needed to have started on, but the thought of opening the perfume box made him feel nauseous. In all honesty, if it weren't such good publicity for his business, Ciel would have skipped the venture entirely.

It took some time, but he eventually got the toys sorted out, but was not yet brave enough to venture toward perfume. Ciel wondered if he could get Luka's help with the candy, as Sebastian was somewhat more than useless in the field of tasting and savouring human food. Thus, he moved onto his next task, which was invitations. In a way, it was the most important part. Everyone he invited would either be a current, or potential business partner, as well as big celebrities to boost the spotlight on the event. Balancing business and publicity was the entire point.

While profitable, the cast of _Devil Butler_ was completely out, as he knew too many of them. Likewise, _Code: Zero_ was an impossibility as well. Perhaps he could venture out into United States territory. He had to invite the head of the branches in other countries, anyway.

As for business partners, he wanted to try and work with SOMA electronics, but that wasn't wise, either, especially given the condition of the owner's son. Preston was still with the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. research department. It had been almost a full month since his admission, and the Omid still hasn't woken up. Ciel and Alois were the only members of the seven permitted to see him in his current state. There was a large, blackened gash across his torso where the annie had clawed him, along with scars in the shape of the symbols that Dafydd had carved as first-aid. Since then, more symbols have been added in the form of tattoos, similar to those that were often worn by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers to ward of diabolic energies.

A sigh escaped the bluenette at the thought. Things had been absurdly normal for him since the Black Annis incident. His friends from Warwick weren't as well off. Then again, some of the emotional problems seemed to just be from experience with these sort of gruesome happenings.

Audrey and Travis were the only others doing well, along with Alois. The reaper boy had resumed his job at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and the Sullivan gentleman had focused his energy in keeping everyone together, as well as his schoolwork. It was remarkable how talkative Travis had been. He said that he wanted to become an author, like his mother, but his material wouldn't be that of romance. Instead, he had been talking with the bluenette about basing stories from the Phantomhive's past exploits, to which the watchdog agreed. There was no way the Ciel was going to crush Travis' unusually excitable self.

Quickly, the Phantomhive snapped out of his thoughts for a moment to focus on the task at hand, only to lay eyes on the menace again. To think that the man who was somehow miraculously finding a way to sleep on the study's absurdly uncomfortable couches at the moment had tracked Ciel down and successfully led a rescue mission to retrieve him. Thinking back to the question Alois asked that morning, Ciel did wonder how on earth they went from brutal adversaries to being hopelessly in love. Perhaps it was the same way that Alois had gone from a frightened, somewhat broken teen, to a powerful and bold detective who simply oozed charisma and confidence. The very thought caused the bluenette's heart to tremble.

He looked at the clock before looking back to the blonde menace. "Jim, it's almost time for you to go."

"_Ugh…"_ Alois groaned, slowly forcing himself to sit up. He sat for a few moments before standing, almost losing balance when he stopped to stretch. "School is gross."

"But the sooner you get off school, the sooner you get to solve murder." The watchdog pointed out, prompting a groggy laugh from the other man.

"I _do_ like solving murders…" the blonde mused. Sneakers _thunked _against the wooden floor as he walked over to the bluenette and bent down to wrap his arms around the seated man's neck. "Can't I just cut class and skip straight to the murder?"

"What happened to wanting to '_catch up'_ with me?" Ciel asked. "You're the one who wanted to pursue a degree even though you already have the job."

"You're going to outclass me even if I get one, _'Senior Detective Constable Sir Doctor Ciel Phantomhive'."_

"Not if you actually spent the time and energy in order to get a similar title."

"_Ugh_…" the blonde groaned, burying his face in the other man's hair. "That'll take forever."

"Good thing you have forever to spend." His beau replied. "Go on. Go to school and solve a murder like I know you can. Unless, of course, you aren't the same person who I was so proud of during the Black Annis raid."

Alois' cheeks heated up at the statement and he pulled back. "You… you were proud of me?"

"Of course. My beloved Jim Macken had done what he does best, and promptly gave adversity the finger. I love that." Ciel stated as he reached up and held the other man's chin between his index finger and thumb. Then, he proceeded to kiss his beau.

"_Now get the hell out of my office."_ He said with a grin as he pulled away. Alois furrowed his brow and pouted, his face pink.

"Fine! I will!" the blonde said in feigned exasperation. He spun as he made his way toward the door, plucking his backpack up off of the ground in the process. "I know when I'm not wanted!"

"Get the degree. Solve the murder. Come back to me in one piece." Instructed Ciel. In response, the Macken only stuck out his tongue in the bluenette's direction before leaving and closing the door behind him.

* * *

**A/N:** **I feel like these chapters are getting kind of repetitive, but I'm having trouble displaying the necessary information for the scene without giving you a chapter that's only like, 300 words long.**

**That will change very soon, I promise. **

**UGH.**

**These two are like, practically married, solving crime in a weirdly, almost domestic way. **

**"_Bye, honey, have a nice day at work!"_**

**Anyways, Questions?**

**_"For HateWeasel-senpai: How does it feel to know that DLTD/DLTP is like it's own little fandom?" by GracieSutcliff1124_  
**

**Pretty neat. I really like making people excited with this drivel. Talking about it is super-fun and helps me think a lot better.**

** I used to actually have all of the fanart in a file, and set my wallpaper to cycle through it every few minutes before I switched computers and lost them all. I am disappoint.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	15. You Done It

Alois groaned as he got into the seat of the Mercedes. His classes had just ended for the day and he was not happy. Apparently, forgetting to do your homework in favour of solving a murder is frowned upon. He was failing maths, and he really didn't want to put the work in to fix it at this point. Obviously, the Macken had more important things to be doing, therefore he tended to prioritize them. It made perfect sense, but his teacher didn't see it that way. The instructor was aware that Alois worked as a detective part time, but did not care to flirt with the idea of giving the blonde a break. Alois was not off to a good start today. He still needed to go to work.

With a heavy sigh, he buckled his seatbelt and turned the ignition key before taking off. He had arranged to interrogate the suspects of the "Hammer" case. Hopefully, he wouldn't feel inclined to rough them up, given his current mood. It would be nice to let off some steam, but murdering murder suspects is considered to be somewhat counter-productive.

Once again, he made it inside the New Scotland Yard building and weaseled his way past the reception-lady whom he despises so much. How dare she perceive him as some punkish delinquent when he, in fact, was an officer of the law? He wasn't a very lawful one, but he got his job done. Thus, he was granted access to the homicide department with ease, and made his way toward the younger detective Bailey's office.

"Yo, where can I interrogate the suspects?" Alois asked, abruptly sticking his head in the door and startling the human for what felt like the umpteenth time that week. Bailey furrowed his brows and stood up from his desk with a sigh.

"Follow me." He said before walking past the menace and out the door. Michael knew that the demon probably knew the way, but he wasn't going to let Alois interrogate the suspects alone. Lord knows just what the blonde would do to them. They didn't talk throughout the entirety of the journey; only doing so when they reached the door.

"Alright. Thanks." Alois stated, moving to walk past the human and through the door. Michael stopped him.

"I'm going too." Said the Bailey.

"Uhm, no, you aren't. No offense, but I don't want you messing this up." The demon replied, grabbing the handle. His eyes widened when the other man gripped his wrist and shot him a nasty glare.

_ "I'm_ the one who'll mess it up?" asked the human. _"I_ went to school for this._ I_ know what to do. You're the one who doesn't know proper protocol."

"And out of the two of us, who has gotten the most results?" answered Alois with a question of his own. "I've handled baddies who are infinitely more frightening than two ordinary serial killers, and I've seen some of the vilest people ever to walk the face of the earth._ I_ know what to do. Unlike _you_, who has a piece of paper,_ I_ have practice."

"You haven't been trained to handle situations like this, though!"

"That is enough." The demon growled, his temper acting up. His tone immediately silenced the other detective, and forced the man to take his hand away. "I am your superior. I will not be talked down to by brats like you who can't even do their damn job so I have to do it for them! You have no grounds to make any sort of argument against me. Do you talk to _Ciel _like this?"

"U-uhm, no…"

"Then why would you feel that you have any authority to talk to _me_ in this way? You seem to _really_ like strictly following protocol, right? Then listen to your superior officer and go back to your post until I have use for you."

Alois' words were harsh. It was a combination of both his previous agitation and his sense of self-respect. Used to, he would have simply gone along with Bailey's instructions, but now, he knew better. In reality, he was just as good, if not better than the detective, despite his level of schooling and he was most certainly not going to put up with someone who both annoys him and impedes his progress.

Bailey Junior was speechless. In fact, he was somewhat afraid of the blonde before him. He couldn't argue. Alois _did _have power over him. With that, he straightened himself.

"Y-yes, sir." He said before turning and walking away.

A wicked grin appeared on the demon's face as he did. After all, it wasn't every day that Alois was called "Sir". The blonde took a moment to change his grin from a mischievous one to a friendly one before opening the door. Inside was the couple suspected of murder, Mister and Missus Dinsdale.

The pair looked tired and Alois internally cursed the other detective for not keeping them separate. Despite their ordinary, somewhat dowdy appearances, anyone would want to try and get their story straight in order to get out of trouble. Even still, he maintained a friendly façade.

"Hello~!" he said in a pleasant tone before taking a seat in front of the couple on the other side of the table. They looked a bit puzzled and it took him a moment to figure out why.

"Yeah, even though I might look like some random college-kid, I am a detective, in case you're wondering." Alois said. He pulled out his badge and held it up to them. "See?"

"Oh, sorry." Replied Missus Dinsdale. "We didn't know people so young could be detectives."

"It's alright. I get that a lot. The lady at the front desk still thinks I'm some punk kid who just keeps getting in trouble." The demon answered, putting his badge away. He rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm. "So, where do you want to start?"

"We don't know what's going on." Mister Dinsdale stated somewhat forcefully. "What are we here for?"

"Well, at the moment, you two are the only suspects in a murder case." The menace said. "I'm sorry, didn't they tell you when they arrested your wife? They should have." He was lying. He knew full-well already that the older man seated across from him had been informed.

"No, _they didn't_." Mister Dinsdale answered.

"_I see_… Well, what happened is that around five people were lured into remote places and killed with a blunt instrument."

"There's no way we would do that!"

"There's not many people who_ would_." Alois said, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm required to ask: Missus Dinsdale?" he called, prompting the woman's attention. "Why was there a hammer in your purse? You're an art teacher, right?"

"Right…" Stephanie replied softly. "I was working on a sculpture and just put it in my bag because I was in a hurry."

"Oh, I get it. And the red stuff on it was paint?"

"Yes."

"_Bzzzt!"_ the demon buzzed, causing both humans to jump. "That's a lie. The red substance was confirmed to be blood in the lab. What really happened? Did you cut yourself?"

"U-uhm, yes…" Missus Dinsdale said, glancing at her spouse. "It's a little embarrassing…"

"Can you show me? I don't mean to be invasive, but it could clear your name."

"It's already healed up, unfortunately…"

"_Bzzt~!"_ Alois loudly buzzed again, imitating a game-show buzzer. "The hammer was _covered _in blood. That would have had to have been a pretty deep wound, and it's _very_ unlikely that it would heal in under a week."

"Are you saying that my wife killed those people?!" demanded the woman's husband.

"Not at all. My actual suspicion is that you _both_ had some involvement." The Macken calmly stated. "Why don't you just tell me why?"

"We didn't do it!"

"Then why did you send text messages to the victims, giving them directions to the location in which their bodies were found, Mister Dinsdale?"

Upon hearing that question, the older man forgot how to speak. There was nothing for him to say, after all. He folded his fingers on the table in front of them and stared at them, all while the blonde menace continued to smile in a friendly sort of way at both suspects.

"_Are you interested in horror movies?"_ Alois inquired, moving right along.

"Not really." Answered Missus Dinsdale, as her husband fell silent. "They're too scary for us."

"Oh really? Why?" asked the demon. "Do scary stories scare you?"

"A bit." The woman said. "Especially when they seem realistic!"

"I know what you mean. I used to be scared of the dark, myself." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small box of candy. He opened it and put one of the colourful sweets on his tongue, making sure he flashed his contract seal in the process. "With the sort of people I work with, though, you learn to embrace it."

"That's—!" the woman began, cutting herself short. Even her husband looked up, his eyes widening.

"What is it? Oh, I'm sorry, do you want one?" innocently asked the blonde, holding the box out to the woman. "Personally, the red ones are my favourite."

"I'm sorry, but, that mark on your tongue…?"

"Oh, this?" Alois questioned, flicking the candy into his cheek before sticking out the muscle. After a few seconds he put his tongue back in his mouth and bit down on the candy. "Cool, huh? I got it in London's underworld; from one of their famous _'boogeymen'_." He examined both suspects' faces and smiled as they seemed to be brimming with questions.

"It's an interesting place." He continued. "Know the right people, and you can have almost anything you want! Sorry, I'm getting off topic, aren't I?"

"No, no! You're fine!" Spoke the art teacher, leaning forward in her seat.

"Not really. People call me a monster for the things that I've done running around in there." A sigh escaped the menace's lips before he continued. "Yet I always see myself going _back."_ His eyes flashed red as the flickered upward at the couple, causing them both to flinch.

"Are you interested in it?" he asked. "The murderer supposedly used the victims' blood to write cryptic, occult messages and symbols on the walls, but all of my sources say that they don't actually mean anything."

"They don't?" absent-mindedly asked the woman, earning a glare from her spouse.

"No, of course not! Who told you that they did?" chuckled the menace. "_They're_ in big trouble."

Once the possible punishment appeared to have been shifted, the pair glanced looked at each other, silently debating as to whether or not they should come clean. Would they be released if they did? Or was the blonde just jesting?

"Do you believe in the occult?" asked Mister Dinsdale.

"Of course! I am a demon, after all!" Alois said pleasantly, being extremely brazen in his approach as per usual. After all, he never was much of a fan for subtlety. The couple's jaws nearly dropped at the statement.

"You're… You're joking, right?" asked the husband.

"Nope. I'm a real-life, honest-to-God demon." The blonde stated. "My partner and I help regulate the supernatural activity of the city. Anyways, who told you that those symbols meant something? I need to know so they won't trick people again." At the same time, the couple looked at each other again before nodding.

"We found a child… Well, at least he looked like one, in an alleyway…" Missus Dinsdale began. "His face was covered in blood around his mouth, and next to him was a body… He was a vampire! A real-life vampire! We just happened to come across them…"

"He looked like he was going to kill us, but instead, we begged him into making us one of them…" her husband added. "He told us to go to this old abandoned part of town… I don't remember the exact address, but it was a run-down warehouse on the East end. There, we met others like him, a-and they told us that the only way to become vampires is to do this…"

"You were fooled." Alois stated. "A person can only become a vampire if they're a virgin, and are bitten by a vampire of the opposite sex." He paused, trying to think of why a group of vampires wouldn't just kill a couple of humans wandering around. Quickly, he snapped himself from his thoughts to look up at the disappointed-looking couple.

"Look, I know immortality is a promising thing, but _trust _me, you don't _want _to be vampires." He said. "It's hard being supernatural in a human-run world. I have one last question for you: Did the vampire who pointed you in their direction in the first place have a name?" Alois waited for the Dinsdales to answer. Hesitantly, they did.

"_Baldassare."_ Mister Dinsdale said. "He said his name was '_Baldassare'_…"

Alois took out his memopad and quickly jotted that down so he'd remember. He needed to get this information back to Ciel, or H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Then, the demon looked up with a smile.

"Alright, then, that's all I need to know. I'll tell one of my coworkers to come collect you." He said, standing up and putting the pad back in his pocket. The two suspects looked up at him expectantly.

"So, you're going to have them let us go?" asked Mister Dinsdale.

"Oh, no. A murder is still a murder. Thank you for the confession." Alois said, trying not to laugh as he walked toward the door. The other man in the room suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the table.

"_You bastard!"_ he shouted. "What about the occult?! They _made_ us do it!"

"Don't be silly." The Macken said, pausing as he opened the door. A smirk formed on his face before he spoke again. "Things like that exist only in faeire tales."

With that, the blonde left, leaving the two crimminals to await their fate. Now, he wasn't interested in them anymore. He was, however, very interested in this "_Baldassare"._

* * *

**A/N: Why is Alois so serious and mature and shit?  
**

**The baby has grown up... I'm so proud...**

**I feel like I should tone down his seriousness, but at the same time, he is sort of serious when he wants and/or needs to be.**

**I dunno. Give me your thoughts, dear children of the intergoogles...**

**Until then, my duckies~!**

* * *

**_CHARACTER SHET_  
**

_Question: **"Hey Amelie! What would you do if someone started blowing kisses at Charlotte?"** by RapunzelInTheSnow_

_Amelie's Answer: "Tear out their bones through their nostrils."_


	16. Candy is Dandy

Alois Trancy has not concept of knocking. Immediately upon returning home, he located the Phantomhive gentleman and tried his best to startle him half to death. When he found out that he was in the dining room, the Macken immediately went to violently swing open the doors.

_ "Hello, my baby! Hello, my honey! Hello, my rag… time… gal?"_ the menace trailed off as he registered the sight before him.

There were boxes upon boxes of candy scattered about across the dining room table, as well as some in the floor. Mountains of empty wrappers littered the entire area as two lone figures sat at the far end of the table. Both Ciel and Luka were laying their head on the table as they both tried to shake being nauseous.

"What happened here?!" demanded Alois rushing over to the two. "I leave for a couple of hours and y'all have some kind of candy-party without me?!"

"_Jim…. I feel gross…"_ Luka whined to his older brother, lifting his head so that his chin was touching the table's surface. "I ate too much candy…"

"I can see that. Now, _why?"_ The older Macken asked while his beau propped his own head up.

"I needed help picking out which products to showcase for the anniversary and I had Luka's help because Sebastian can't taste properly." Ciel answered, his eye still shut. "We got done, but we really shouldn't have done it all at once…"

_"Obviously."_ Scolded the fair-haired demon as he stroked his younger brother's hair in a soothing fashion. He knew it would probably wear off quickly, but it still was somewhat flabbergasting to see that the bluenette would do something like this. The more he thought about it, however, the more plausible it seemed.

"Go lay down, Luka. You'll feel better." Alois said with a sigh.

"Guh…" the younger boy grunted. "I don't wanna move…" With a roll of his eyes, Alois gently picked his brother up and carried him toward the door. Before exiting, however, he looked back at his boyfriend.

"I'll be back to chew you out, in a sec." he warned with only partial seriousness. Ciel waved him away, indicating that he heard the other man, prompting the blonde to make his exit.

Luka whined as he was set down on a sofa in the entertainment room. His brother had picked it specifically because it was close to a bathroom, just in case the younger demon got sick. He found himself incased in warmth as Alois took off his coat and laid it over him like a blanket.

Luka liked Alois' coat. It smelled nice and felt kind of like a hug. It also looked _"cool",_ although it was too big for the younger Macken and it was currently covering him as he tried not to vomit. A sigh escaped the blonde's lips as he stroked the brunette's hair again.

"Ciel is so dumb." Alois said, causing Luka to giggle. "How could he let you eat all of that?"

"I was _helping."_ Replied the younger demon.

"I see that. But you shouldn't help if you start to feel sick…"

"It was tasty."

"Tasty enough to deal with an upset tummy?" questioned the menace, gently poking his brother's abdomen.

"I dunno. It was fun when I was eatin' it." Luka stated. "We had a real good time."

"Well, if you put it that way, how am I supposed to scold him for being irresponsible?"

"I dunno. Do you _have_ to?" asked the brunet, laying on his back.

"Yes, because you don't get too many chances to scold Ciel Phantomhive, after all." His brother answered. Luka laughed.

"So you just wanna boss Ciel around?"

"_Yea."_ Alois said bluntly, ruffling the younger boy's hair. "Try to take it easy, alright? If you have to puke, the bathroom's where it's always been, alright?"

"Okay." Luka replied, wrapping himself in his older brother's warm coat.

The menace smiled at him before standing up and walking back toward the dining room. There, he found his beau in the exact same spot as he left him, still lying on the table feeling like a beached whale. When he heard the blonde's footsteps, he lifted his head despite his crummy feeling.

"Am I in trouble?" he jokingly asked, reading the expression on the blonde's face.

"You made my brother feel sick, and Sebastian's going to be pissed off because Luka's not going to want any supper." Alois answered, trying not to smile at the bluenette's chuckle.

"I'm sorry." Ciel answered. "Is there anything I can do to repent?"

"Probably, but I can't come up with anything at the moment." His beau said, plucking a piece of candy off the table and unwrapping it. "I'm not good at punishing grown-ups in ways that aren't horrible and sadistic."

"Sounds _gross."_

"Not like that, you little shit!" Alois insisted, popping his treat into his mouth before flicking the back of the other man's head. "Ya nasty…"

"Ow. How dare you? Hitting your boyfriend like that? I didn't take you for an abuser."

"Oh, shut up." The menace replied, taking a seat where Luka had once been on the side of the table opposite to the Phantomhive.

"You're cute when you're flustered, though." Ciel protested, grunting as he sat up in his chair. "So, how'd it go with the Dinsdales?"

"They're weirdos." Answered the other demon before swallowing. "They said they did it because a group of vampires said it would turn them into one of them."

"What?" inquired the Phantomhive, narrowing his eye. His switch had been hit and he was somehow serious again. "Why would vampires do that?"

"That's what I was wondering. I thought you might have some ideas."

"I _don't_…" stated the watchdog, folding his hands in front of him. "Vampires would have just killed them. There's no reason for them to do something like that…"

"Well, shit." Alois said. "The only other information I got was that they came across a vampire eating, and he told them to go to a warehouse, where they met the others."

"Did he have a name?"

"Uh… yeah, hang on a sec." The menace paused to pull out his memo-pad. "They said his name was '_Baldassare_.'" He jumped when the other demon coughed. Ciel leaned over and grabbed his stomach as he tried to stop. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah… I'm fine…" his boyfriend answered, finally managing to stop. "That just surprised me."

"What? _'Baldassare'? _Who's Baldassare?"

"_A vile piece of scum that has somehow managed to take on a humanoid shape."_ Ciel snidely stated. "He's the head of the biggest coven of vampires in London, now that he's taken over Charlie's territory, too."

"Who's Charlie?"

"Remember that vampire who Charlotte and Amelie used to live with?"

"Oh, yeah, him. I didn't like him. Glad we off'd 'im." Alois replied. "Anyway, you know that guy?"

"He's somewhat of an informant. He tells me about suspicious vampire activity, and I pass it on to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." the bluenette answered.

"Why would he do that?"

"_Less competition for him."_ There was a pause as the Phantomhive took a drink of water in hopes of quelling his irritated throat. "Why he would be involved in something like this, however, is beyond me. It's not like him at all."

"You gonna go ask him?" questioned the Macken.

"I can't." Ciel replied. "Not directly, at least. I need to get ahold of a certain someone to act as a medium, first. Problem is, moving around in that part of the city is a bit a problem for me."

"Why's that?"

"I'm a bit of a '_boogeyman_' to the supernaturals, remember? It's _hilarious_."

"So how are we going to do this?" asked Alois. "Want me to go for you?"

"There is no way that I'm going to let you talk to _Baby-face Baldassare_ on your own." His beau stated.

_ "'Baby-Face'?"_

"He became a vampire when he was a child, so he's stuck in that form forever. That's why they call him that." The Phantomhive paused for a moment and thought.

"What you can do is go get that medium for me, and tell her I need to talk to Baldassare." He continued. "Her name is '_Sister Dorothy'_; a nun and also a vampire. She's very kind. You'll like her. She also just so happens to be one of the only people that Baby-Face will listen to."

_ "Tell me the plan, man_." Said the fair-haired demon, leaning forward. This was all incredibly exciting for him. Not only would he get to meet Ciel's lesser-known informants, but he would also get to go on a greater adventure than he was going to had this been an ordinary murder. He watched as the bluenette absent-mindedly rummaged around the piles of wrappers.

"Easy. We go into the old, abandoned part of town and look." The Phantomhive answered. "First, we'll start at the church, which is where she'll probably be, if not, we'll look in _The Wolf's Glen_- that's a little shop run by supernaturals who help other supernaturals. If she's in neither of those places, then we'll leave her a note at the church." He said, finally locating a small box of candy and picking it up.

"That sounds_ too _easy." Alois replied. "Boring!"

"What? Did you want to get in a shoot-out or something?"

"Shoot-outs are fun, unless they interrupt a date and make me crash Sebastian's car."

"Technically, it's _my_ car."

"Ah, but the man was deeply in love with it, and now his heart has been broken as he is forced to mourn. Poor soul."

A laugh escaped the bluenette's throat as the menace made his jest. He opened the box in his hand and placed one of the hard candies in his mouth before speaking. "Please don't make me picture that."

"You're_ still_ eating?" Alois inquired, arching an eyebrow. "Haven't you had enough?"

"You don't _eat_ these, you suck on them." Ciel corrected, furrowing his brow in confusion when the blonde laughed.

"Are you thinking of alternative meanings to that which might be questionable in nature?" asked the watchdog.

"No, sir. Well, not until you said that, that is." Replied the menace. "I was just laughing at how childish you can be."

"How dare you. I am deeply offended."

"I can tell. It still isn't a suitable enough punishment for giving my brother a stomachache and spoiling his dinner." Stated Alois as he leaned forward. "How dare _you,_ sir?"

Instead of talking, the Phantomhive merely leaned forward as well, closing the gap between them. He cupped the other man's cheek before pressing their lips together, feeling Alois smile into the kiss. It didn't waver even as Ciel ran his tongue along the blonde's bottom lip. Access to the menace's mouth was happily granted as Alois stood up a bit and placed a hand on the back of the bluenette's head. Suddenly, though, he stopped smiling, and his cheeks turned pink. Soon they parted again, however little, both staying within an inch of each other.

"There, now you've taken my candy, too." Ciel mused, enjoying the embarrassed look on the other's face. "You like _the red ones,_ right?"

Alois pulled back before exploding into a coughing fit. Quickly, he reached over and took a drink from the Phantomhive's glass of water. The blonde coughed a few more times, leaning over the table, before falling silent again. For some reason, he refused to look at the smirking bluenette.

"Did you swallow it?" Ciel asked, to which his embarrassed beau so eloquently replied:

"_Shuddup."_


	17. Baby's First Words

"Wow, what a dump…" Alois said aloud as he stared out the window of the Mercedes Benz. He was not driving this time, granting him the ability. Sebastian chuckled from the driver's seat at the younger demon's observation. He had left Revy and Luka under the supervision of Travis so that he can protect the car. This wasn't a very nice section of the city, after all.

It was abandoned. This entire small, section of city was set to be demolished, however, the process was hindered by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; who graciously allows for London's supernatural beings to live there. When they're all in one convenient place, it's easier to observe them, after all. The only problem was that it was difficult to live there, especially for supernatural beings. Quite a few of them have difficulty finding work, giving their special needs or even their appearance. Thus, they have somehow managed to organise a support system to give each other aid.

Somewhere, hidden in this section of town was a small shop and café known as _"The Wolf's Glen"_. It's run by the witches, who are able to blend in with humans effortlessly, and they are aided by the elves who simply appear to be very tall with slightly pointed ears. Here, they sell and ration supplies, sometimes bartering for them, as well as spells to alter a creature's shape so that they can find a way to survive in a human-run society. This was the Phantomhive demons' destination for today.

It was dusk, so it was the perfect time. Unfortunately, the person that they were looking for was not in the first location they thought she would be. Sister Dorothy lives in the abandoned church and with the help of The Wolf's Glen, found a way to renovate it so that she may give services to the supernaturals and even provide the children who couldn't go to a human school with some form of education. Naturally, she was looked up to in the community. Even the big, scary leaders of the vampire covens in the area respect her, including _"Baby-Face" Baldassare_.

That was a major accomplishment. Baldassare doesn't respect anyone, including the frightening "watchdog" of their faerie-tales. When retrieving information from him, Ciel would often have Sister Dorothy present, as she held some form of calming effect on the coven-leader. Baldassare wouldn't even _swear_ around the nun, she was that good. Fortunately for Ciel, Sister Dorothy is accepting of everyone and is not afraid of him or his presence.

That didn't change the fact that it was difficult for him to get in contact with her, though. He and his little group were now forced to patrol the area in search of The Wolf's Glen, where Dorothy often went to in the early evening for this reason. All he needed Alois to do was go in, ask the person at the counter if they knew where he could find the nun, and if she wasn't there, either, hand them a note from Ciel if Dorothy wasn't there to receive it herself.

If the Phantomhive or his butler were to do it himself, any customers in the building might be sent into an utter panic. Not many were sure of what the watchdog actually_ looked_ like, as few had seen him. Many had heard descriptions of him, though, especially the children of the area. Ciel Phantomhive was their "boogeyman", the one who would come and snatch them up if they misbehaved. Sometimes, he was described as a cranky-looking man with a stern expression; others, he was described as an extremely handsome and charming one. Despite how much she was looked up to, it was Sister Dorothy's description that was the least popular. If you asked the nun, she would tell you that the legendary "Watchdog" had both of these traits, but one more. She would say that the watchdog looked like a broken child who might shatter at any moment. The one thing that remained consistent in all of these descriptions, however, was that the watchdog wore a black suit when he came to collect, an eyepatch, and that his hair was a strange shade of blackish-blue. It was for this reason that the Phantomhive cars all had tinted windows.

_"Are you clear on the plan?"_ asked Ciel, looking over to his beau in the backseat.

"Yep. _Crystal_." Alois replied, holding the envelope in his fingers. He looked up to address the bluenette before turning his attention back outside. "How can a place like this even exist?"

"You're familiar with the concept of London's '_underworld'_. This is just a variation of it." The Phantomhive answered. "It exists because H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G went out of its way for it. They hunt what needs to die, but not all supernatural beings are worthy of such treatment."

"How _merciful."_ Snidely spoke the blonde, blinking as the car lulled to a stop directly in front of an alleyway.

He squinted, and at the end of it he saw a sign hanging off the wall with the words _"The Wolf's Glen"_ on it. Alois turned to his beau one last time. He asked: "_This my stop?"_ prompting a nod from the other man.

"Be right back." He said, pecking the bluenette on the lips before opening the car door and stepping out. Ciel smiled after him, only to force a frown upon hearing chuckling from the driver's seat.

"What's so funny?" asked the Phantomhive, looking toward the older demon. Sebastian shook his head.

"Nothing." The butler answered. "I just find it amusing how the frightening _'watchdog' _that is so feared around these parts can be so _gentle_."

"Must you always tease me about this sort of thing?" inquired the Phantomhive, crossing his arms as he turned to watch his beau walk alone down the dark alleyway.

The blonde stepped through puddles as he made his way to the entrance. He slipped the envelope into his coat before he made it to the door. Surprisingly, it was actually quite ornate in comparison to its surroundings. It was carved from sturdy wood and had minute details and patterns embedded in its surface. On the wall next to it was a sign hung on a nail. It said "open", so after a few moments of mental preparation, the blonde opened the door. A bell rang as he did so, informing the staff of his presence, which somewhat startled him.

Unexpectedly, the place was nicely lit and very clean as opposed to the rest of the neighbourhood. It was well kept, and looked like a very pleasant cafe'. Alois walked inside, looking around him curiously. Admittedly, he did feel a bit self-conscious, as a few customers were looking at him. Hopefully, it was simply because he wasn't recognizable. After all, supernaturals supposedly had a very tight-knit community, here.

Alois' shoes _clacked_ against the tile as he made his way to the counter. On his way there, he received a particularly nasty glare from a man who looked to be around his age, though he knew it was unlikely. He could smell blood wafting from his direction, most likely from the glass of what was the wrong consistency and shade to be wine. The Macken ignored the vampires scowl, and instead focused on the friendly-looking girl behind the counter.

"Welcome!" she greeted in a pleasant tone. The girl had light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a hoodie that was black in only the torso, but orange in the sleeves and hood. Over that, she wore an apron. Alois could sense some diabolical energy on her, but otherwise, the girl seemed perfectly human. She eyed the blonde very quickly before asking: "You're new, aren't you?"

"Just passing through. I was told that this was the place to find the person I'm looking for." The blonde replied. "Her name is Sister Dorothy."

"Oh, you're just in time! It's almost around the time when she comes by." The girl said. "You're a demon, aren't you? Does your master need her for something?"

"Yeah, there's some stuff he wants to ask her. I'm not really sure what, though." Alois answered, trying to be careful on his phrasing. "Do you get demons often, or something?"

"Not really. Demons don't eat, so there's not much point in them coming to a café." the waitress replied. "Oh, I'm _Katelynn,_ by the way. I'm a witch." She added, extending her hand across the countertop. Alois shook it and introduced himself as well.

"I'm Alois." He answered, immediately regretting that. He carefully examined the girl's face in order to decipher as to whether or not she knew that name. To his relief, however, the witch seemed unfazed.

"Is there anything I can get you while you wait?" asked Katelynn. "I know demons don't really care for eating things that aren't souls, but we do have _New Moon Drop_."

"Oh! I'd love some." The blonde answered. He sat down on one of the stools and watched as the girl prepared it on the other side of the counter.

"Commin' right up!" spoke the witch, getting the hot water.

So far, this was completely the opposite of how the menace thought it would be. The Wolf's Glen seemed to have a very welcoming atmosphere. It was nice. Even the stares stopped as soon as the menace came across as "alright" by the employee. Still, he couldn't let his guard down yet. There was one set of eyes that didn't waver; like they were trying to burn holes in the back of the demon's skull.

"_Tch."_ He heard from somewhere behind him. It was the vampire that had glared at him particularly foul when he had walked in.

The vampire leaned back in his chair lazily, his red eyes staring scornfully at the blonde menace. He wore a black turtleneck and pair of pants with a grey, unbuttoned trenchcoat hugging his frame. The man obviously had some money, given the expensiveness of his shoes. His black hair was perfectly combed, his bangs tucked behind his ear on one side, and on the other, somehow out of his eyes as if to avoid being glared at.

_"Hey, Kate, stop serving this piece of trash and hurry up with my potion!"_ he called in an arrogant tone of voice. What a nasty person.

"I can't do that. Your potion's still going to take another week, whether you like it or not!" the witch said back, setting the blonde's cup of tea in front of him. "And don't call the other customers _'trash'!"_

"C'mon, Kate! This is the last day! It's gonna wear off soon!" complained the bloodsucker.

"Then order it sooner!" Katelynn retorted, turning back to the demon. "I'm so sorry about him. He's sort of a big-shot and thinks he can treat people however he wants."

"Don't worry about it." answered Alois. He picked up the teacup by the handle and pressed the rim to his lips, taking a sip of his drink before continuing. "I've seen his type, before. I know how bothersome they can be."

"What the fuck are you saying?!" barked the brutish vampire. "If you've got something to say, speak up and say it, Dicknose McButtfuck!" Alois nearly spit out his drink, but he somehow managed to down it before he started chuckling.

"Oi! What the fuck?! You havin' a giggle, blondie!?" spouted the vampire, standing up. "What's so fucking funny, huh?!"

"I'm gonna have to remember that one!" Alois said, trying not to laugh. "What was it? _'Dicknose McButtfuck'? _Oh, man… that _was _a good one."

"You laughin' at me, shit-for-brains?!"

"No, I'm simply _praising _you!" the demon replied, looking over his shoulder and crossing one leg over the other. "Don't blow blood-vessel, precious, lord knows you don't need that." A smirk crossed his face as he saw the vampire bare his fangs and clench his fists.

"Are you shitting me?!" he growled under his breath. "Get the fuck out of here before I turn you into a stain!"

"Can't do that, I'm afraid. I'm on business, after all." Answered the Macken. He arched an eyebrow as the vampire sat down.

"Oh, yeah… For your '_master',_ huh?" the sewer-tongued man said, leaning back in his chair again. "That's all the _more_ reason to kick you out of here!"

"Hey, Katelynn, do you have any idea what Stephanie Meyer over here is getting at?" Alois asked, turning back to the witch. Wide-eyed, the girl simply stared at him before flinching at the sound of shattering glass. Once again, the demon looked back to see the vampire with blood and glass all over his hand, looking down at the table.

"Get out…" he snarled.

"Pardon?"

"I said get the fuck out!" the vampire shouted, looking up at Alois and flashing his teeth. "You stink!"

"_Mister Baldassare,_ please calm down…" the waitress said, immediately catching the demon's attention.

"Baldassare"? _That _was Baldassare? Indeed, the hot-tempered bloodsucker was none other than "Baby-Faced" Baldassare. Alois' eye narrowed as he turned to face the other man.

"Are you fucking stupid?!" the vampire demanded. "This guy fucking _stinks!_ He smells like _dog!"_

At that single word, the other customers looked toward the menace, even the ones who were so desperately trying to ignore the scene. Fear washed over their faces and silence hung in the air. All eyes were on Alois, but Alois' eyes were on Baldassare.

"He stinks." Baldassare stated. "He's got the watchdog's stench all over him."

* * *

**A/N: Babyface is so fun to write dialogue for...  
**

**Guy needs to eat a bar of soap...**

**Tell me if there's any insults that he should use!**

**Questions for moi?**

**_"Lady Hate! Did you make up the term "Bluenette"? It seems there would be few other uses for the phrase. It's the perfect way to descibe the hair colour of our favourite Cyclops! How would you feel if other writers started using it as a Ciel adjective?" by Blonde Sunflower Lover_  
**

**I have no idea if I'm the first one to use it, really. I've seen "noirette" quite a few times, but I didn't think it was quite right, since Ciel's hair isn't really "black", so I changed it to "bluenette" because it just _feels_ right. **

**I don't care if other people use it. Go right ahead.**

_**Not really a question but: "I know Bailey isn't a bad man, but I don't like him anymore." by bluejellyfishOuO**_

**Detective Bailey Junior is very... _serious_. To him, rules are absolute and are not to be questioned or changed. He doesn't really like Alois and Ciel's way of doing things because they do not give a flying fuck about proper protocol. He's just doing his job in his own way, and that just so happens to clash with that of the demonic duo. He likes order, and they completely trample it.**

**Bailey_ Senior_ was actually very similar when he first met Ciel, but he's changed as he's gotten older and more experienced.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Kris, how are things going with you? Did you FINALLY shave?"** by Vannaluv  
_

_Kristopherson's Answer:__"Things are going okay. I feel so much lighter after getting that off of my chest, and it's nice to know that Dan feels the same way... I'm a little conflicted about Anna, though. I don't want to 'steal' her boyfriend, but if he keeps dating her while lying to her, that'll make everyone unhappy... I don't want to see her as an 'obstacle', and I feel pretty guilty about kissing Dan while he's dating her. Even worse because I still keep wanting to kiss him, but if I do that, then he'll feel less inclined to solve this problem. I can't do it for him! Then, there's still Preston... I don't want to talk about Preston...  
_

_Also, I did shave, but not all of my almost 'beard'. I got rid of the wannabe-mustache though, since it was nearly just stubble. I feel like it would be a shame to shave it all off, but right now it looks really lame... Dan says I should trim it into some cool design, or something... So, now, after a month of not designing anything, the first thing I'm thinking about is a goatee..."_


	18. The Stench of Discovery

"_He stinks."_ Said Baldassare. "_He's got the watchdog's stench all over him."_

The other customers in the establishment all looked at Alois in horror. Even the waitress behind the counter, who had been so friendly was terrified. A few more staff members showed up in case there was any trouble, but as soon as they heard that, they were too afraid to do anything. The blonde menace uttered a sigh.

"How_ rude_." He said nonchalantly, contrasting with his inner thoughts. "And you smell like week-old, rotten period, but you don't see me randomly shouting it at everyone."

"The fuck you just say?!" growled babyface as he stood up. He slammed his hands down on the table in front of him as his did and his chair fell over somewhere behind him.

"Are you deaf or something?" asked the blonde. "Is that why you keep yelling?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"First you ask me what I said, and then you tell me to shut up? Make up your mind." Alois stated. He watched the vampire's movements carefully before saying: "Katelynn, what it?" referring to the waitress behind the counter.

"Y-yes?" the girl asked.

_"You might want to duck."_

Just then, Baldassare picked up his table and hurled it across the room, aiming straight for the blonde. He missed, however, when Alois jumped behind the counter and shoved the poor witch behind it to the floor as he ducked with her. The table crashed into various shelves stored along the walls, sending broken glass and mystery liquids everywhere. It smelled like alcohol and blood.

Once the girl was safe, Alois sprung jumped up and landed on the bar's surface. Briefly, he crouched down to grab his cup of tea before standing up again. Nothing seemed to have landed in it, so he put it up to his lips and continued drinking. This gesture only seemed to make the vampire angrier.

"Are you mocking me?!" Baldassare demanded as his foe finished his beverage.

"Ah~!" the blonde sighed. He looked down at the empty cup in his hand before looking to the coven-leader. "Maybe." He smirked.

"You bastard…" growled the vampire, clenching his fists. He snarled as he tried to stare the other man down. "I'll fucking kill you!"

Alois readied himself as his opponent lunged, jumping into the air and cocking his arm back to strike. His eyes glowed crimson as the vampire closed it, moving out of his line of attack and grabbing Baldassare's wrist. His foe let out a yelp as the blonde spun around, sending him flying in the same direction that he came. Alois jumped down from the counter-top and held his cup in the air.

"_Cheers."_ He said in a playful tone.

Baldassare came charging at him once more, and he did not move once. Not yet. Not until the other man closed in on him. It was then that Alois brought his cup down again, smashing it over Baldassare's head. When the man was stunned, he used the opportunity to grab his shirt and spin them both around so that the vampire's back was pressed against the bar. Alois drew blood as he traced the remaining handle of the cup along babyface's jaw.

"Got it all out of your system, now, precious?" the blonde asked. Angrily, his foe snarled, baring his fangs as he stared the other man straight in the eye.

"Fuck you." He hissed, clenching the menace's wrist and digging his nails into the Macken's sleeve.

"_No, thanks."_ Alois replied. "As much as I'm into snotty rich boys, I'm kind of seeing someone at the moment." Baldassare's eyes widened at the statement.

"Y-you're a faggot?!" he demanded, his body completely tensing.

"Is everything that comes out your mouth complete and utter shit?" the blonde answered with his own inquiry. "I'm not gay, and I already said I'm not interested in you. The person I happen to be romantically involved with just happens to be a man."

"Get the fuck off me, ass-pirate!" Baldassare shouted, trying to force away the hand that held the broken teacup up to his neck.

"Only if you promise to be nice."

"I don't have to be nice to a dick-eating asshole-jockey! Leggo!" For a moment, Alois was genuinely taken aback by the man's words.

"Now, listen here, ya little shit…" the blonde began, pressing the handle of the teacup harder into the other man's neck. "I don't know what your damage is, but_ nobody_ talks like that to me. Understand, here, princess?" He took the cup away while maintaining his grip on the other man's shirt with his other hand, raising it high above his head and lifting the vampire off of the ground.

"Now piss off. I'm _busy_." Alois said, tossing Baldassare to the side. The coven-leader hit the wall and landed on his head on the other side of the room.

With that, the menace made an attempt to at least straighten up the place, putting stool back where they belonged. He froze when he heard a click from the direction that he threw the vampire. He looked over his shoulder to see Baldassare holding a pistol in his hand from where he landed.

"I think_ you're _the one who needs to piss off." The vampire stated. "See this, here? This is one of them 'anti-freak' guns that you fuckers get off on. It'll kill your ass dead, even if you are a demon. Get the fuck out before a blow your bloody brains all over the walls."

Alois simply straightened his back for a moment, before abruptly reaching into his coat and pulling out his gun. He aimed Kaspar directly at the other man's head. A wicked smile crossed his features as the vampire looked frightened once more.

"Cool." He said simply. "I do love a good shoot-out. Wonder which one of us is faster?"

"You bastard…"

"What's wrong? Run out of cute insults_, 'Baby-Face'?"_ To this, Baldassare nearly snapped.

"_Don't call me 'Baby-Face'!"_ he roared.

His gun went off, completely missing his target as pink smoke surrounded his body. Alois' eyes widened at the mist, as he hadn't the faintest clue as to what happened. HE soon figured it out, however, as the smoke cleared. The man who had once stood across from him was gone and in his place stood a boy who only looked around ten years old.

"No!" the boy shouted, fumbling with his gun as it got caught in the now loose-fitting clothes on his frame. "Not now!"

"Oh, yeah… You said something about a potion, earlier, didn't you?" Mused the demon. "Now I get it…"

"Fuck off!" Baldassare nearly yelped, finally freeing his weapon and aiming it again. "I can still kill you!"

"_Oh my_!" called a startled voice from the front of the shop, summoning the attention of both males. The small voice came from an elderly nun who stood in the middle of the doorway. She had a kind sort of look about her with a plump face and rosy cheeks. She looked to the younger-looking lad of the two with an almost disappointed face.

"Si-sister!" the coven-leader called, lowering his gun and hiding it behind his back.

"Are you being _violent_ again, Baldassare?" the woman asked. "And to a new face, too?"

"But Sister! He's with the Watchdog! He was coming to get you!" the boy protested. He tried to point at the blonde menace, but his sleeves were now too long for that to become clear.

"The Watchdog?" inquired the nun, looking over to the blonde. "Is this true, child?"

"U-uh, yes, ma'am." Alois replied, unsure of how to act. If this really was Sister Dorothy, then it was best not to be rude. "I was supposed to give you a note from him."

"Oh, well let's see it, then." Spoke the Sister, extending her hand.

In response, the blonde simply reached into his coat and put his gun away before retrieving the message. He then made his way to the other side of the room and handed it to the woman. Her hands were freezing. She then opened the envelope and read the message, occasionally looking up at the blonde, and over to the other vampire. When she was finished, she smiled at the blonde before turning to Baldassare.

"Balda, I need you to come with us, please." She said.

"What?! Why?!" demanded the boy.

"This involves you too. It doesn't seem like anything serious, so it shouldn't take long." the nun replied. "Unless, of course, you want to leave me _all alone_ with the Watchdog and his henchmen." Alois smiled as the woman knew just how to push the vampire's buttons.

"_Fine."_ Baldassare groaned, trying to move in his garments. His shoes no longer fit, nor were his pants as they sat around his ankles. Fortunately, the vampire's shirt was now long enough to keep him covered. "I'm going to need a change of clothes, first."

* * *

**A/N: Baldassare you asshat...  
**

**I still didn't get to use all of the insults and swears that I wanted, but this is a good start.**

**Anyways, I haven't got much to say, so, questions?**

_**"Does Baldassare have a last name? And does Ciel actually smell like a dog?" by Honeycloud of RiverClan**_

**I'm not even sure if "_Baldassare_" is even his real name! I bet a lot of vampires change their names after becoming that way, actually. Whether or not Baldassare did, I haven't decided yet.**

**Ciel doesn't smell like a dog! That was just Baldassare being a dick. He probably makes all kinds of dog-jokes about Ciel because he's a little shit.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Question: For Audrey: are you ever, eventually, going to try and find your dad?"** by TrinaDauntless648  
_

_Audrey's Answer:"I dunno. I'm still needed here, after all. Maybe someday. Not today, though. It was nice to hang out with the other reapers for a bit, but this is my kind of home, y'know?"  
_


	19. Speak No Evil

"What the fuck kind of shit is this?!" demanded Baldassare as he, Alois, and Sister Dorothy made their way to the church. "I look like a fucking idiot! If someone sees me like this, I'll murder you, blondie!"

In reality, he simply looked like an ordinary child. The coven leader was unhappy that since his clothes no longer fit since his transformation, he had to use some of the clothes donated to The Wolf's Glen. He now wore a T-Shirt with monster trucks on it, shorts and sandals. He was not happy.

"Language, Baldassre!" the nun scolded as they walked. "You should never curse someone, that's a sin! It's especially rude if you've only just met them."

"He works for the Watchdog and is a bloody woofter." The remarkably _older_ vampire complained. "Ha! Get it?! _'Woofter'?!"_

"I heard you, kiddo." Alois answered. "Nice pun. Ha! Get it?! It's like '_nice one',_ innt?"

"Are you making fucking fun of me!?" Baldassare snapped.

"Yes." The blonde said bluntly. "You make it easy."

"Please stop fighting." Sister Dorothy interjected. "You shouldn't squabble."

"Hey, isn't being gay, like a sin, too, or something?" asked the other vampire. "Why are you picking on _me?_"

"Jesus didn't say one single thing about being a homosexual, so no." the nun replied. "That excerpt that's often quoted by hate-groups is actually from the old testament, not the Bible."

"Ciel was right. He said I'd like you, Sister." Grinned the Macken. "Can't say the same about Baldassare, but he was still right about my impression of him."

"Hey!" the ten-year-old-looking vampire barked, causing Dorothy to giggle.

"Sir Phantomhive certainly does have an odd sense of humour." The woman said. She looked back at the blonde as she led them. "You talk about him like you're close. Are you friends?"

"Oh, yeah. You could say that." Alois somewhat bashfully replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know why, but discussing their relationship with the nun was somewhat embarrassing. They walked in silence for a bit longer before Alois had to ask the question that been on his mind for a while.

"Uh, I'm sorry if this seems a bit weird, but, isn't associating with demons kind of…?" he trailed off, unsure of exactly what word he needed. The nun simply giggled again.

"Not at all." She said. "God loves everyone, including demons. The only reason I would not want to associate with someone is if they aren't a good person and wish to spread hate."

"And yet _Baldassare _is here because…?"

"He's a bit of a lost soul. He can be very sweet once you've gotten to know him."

"I am not '_sweet'!"_ Baldassare shouted. "I'm the baddest vampire in this city!"

"Not really, I know of someone tougher than you." Alois stated. "She works at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." At that, the nun stopped in her tracks for a moment.

"We do not discuss _those _people around here." She said. "Unlike Mister Phantomhive, _everyone _is _certain _that they are real, and their soldiers can be _cruel."_

Alois looked at the ground for a moment, trying to think of something to say. It was almost a given that the soldiers would frighten the supernaturals. It was their duty to exterminate them, after all. Alois also knew what giving someone a gun was like; how that power could turn even the meekest of people into bringers of death. Power could make a person drunk and do awful, unspeakable things. He knew this firsthand.

"_I know."_ He said simply. _"I'm sorry."_

"_Now maybe you'll get why we hate your kind." _Baldassare said. He had taken the turtleneck out of the bag with his clothes in it and put it on, rolling up the sleeves so that he could use the arms.

The vampire walked past the blonde and up to Sister Dorothy before grabbing her hand and leading her forward. Silently, the blonde watched them before following. Indeed, this world was different from his own. Alois knew the Hellsings to be some of the most morally just people he knew, but here, it was _they_ were the monsters, and he was one of the boogeymen that mothers would warn their children about. By the light of the any streetlamps that lit up their path, he walked forward, dwelling on the grim thought as he repeatedly put one foot in front of the other. He didn't say anything else until they reached the church.

A scoff came from Baldassare as he saw the Mercedes Benz in front. Did the Phantomhive know anything about subtlety? Then again, the rambunctious nosferatu was certainly not one to talk. When they got to the door, however, he was actually hesitant to go inside. With a scowl, Baldassare looked down at his attire.

"Don't be ashamed, Balda. He can't antagonize you if you don't let him." Sister Dorothy said, opening the door. She smiled as she laid eyes upon the two figures who stood inside, as did the blonde menace.

The church lights weren't on, as all of them could see in the dark. The only thing that illuminated the room was the light of the moon shining through the large glass windows that ran along the walls of the building. Inside, Sebastian stood with Ciel who was leaning against one of the pews. Upon setting eyes on the group, the bluenette offered them a smile. Moonlight cascaded down the demon's pale features, bringing them into views. The sight made Alois' heart rate speed up a little. Sister Dorothy looked at the blonde curiously, while Baldassare shuddered as he glared at the Phantomhive with disgust.

"What the fuck kind of expression is that, mutt?" the petite coven-leader hissed, capturing the nun's attention.

"Baldassare, we are in a church!" she scolded, immediately forcing the older vampire to back off.

"Hello, Babyface; Sister Dorothy." Greeted the bluenette.

"Don't call me _'Babyface'_, Dogbreath!"

"It's good to see you again, Sir Phantomhive; Mister Michaelis." The nun replied, offering the oldest of the demons a polite nod. Sebastian returned the gesture with a courteous grin, and offered a small bow.

She walked into the room and took a seat on one of the pews. She was soon followed by Baldassare while Alois shut the door behind them before joining his own group, standing right next to his beau. He didn't attempt to be affectionate in any way, given how closely he was being watched by Babyface and the nun who owned the church they stood in. The woman smiled warmly and said:

"It's been a while. You've changed your appearance again."

"Well, I'm not exactly '_welcome'_ around here." Ciel stated. "How long has it been? Four years?"

"Just about." Sister Dorothy replied. "Your smile has changed." She added, tilting her head, slightly.

"Has it? I hadn't noticed." Said the watchdog. "Four years ago is around the time where Jim started working with us."

"'Jim'?" asked Baldassare. To that, the blonde raised his hand, slightly.

"That would be me." He said, not even flinching as the volatile vampire stood up.

"You said your name was_ 'Alois' _at The Wolf's Glen!" he shouted.

"Only certain people can call me '_Jim',_ Peterpan."

"Oh, fuck off! Don't you fucking-!" Baldassare was about to go off on a tangent when he suddenly just _stopped_. It wasn't because Sister Dorothy was seated near him and it wasn't because he was in her church. Despite the scolding look he got from the nun, his train of thought was brought to a crashing halt as another idea now stood in its path.

"Wait…" he said, raising his finger. He pointed it at the blonde menace before finally saying: "You're gay for the Watchdog aren't you?! Sick fuck!"

"Well, I would certainly _hope_ he is." The Phantomhive coolly replied. Without even the slightest hint of embarrassment, he grabbed the Macken's hand, staining the other man's cheeks pink. "He _is _my _boyfriend_, after all. We would have some serious problems if he wasn't."

Baldassare stared at the couple, eyes wide and mouth agape. While Sister Dorothy simply giggled, the more petite vampire shuddered. Ciel Phantomhive, boogeyman and murderer who has picked at him and intimidated for many, many years, was in a romantic relationship? With another man?! The concept completely baffled Babyface.

The coven-leader was familiar with concepts that couldn't be understood by "ordinary" people. He was soaked in self-hatred because of his appearance. He despises his face, his voice, the way people react to him, and even how he reacts to all of this. He had tried to take his own life on multiple occasions. Many times, he had shot himself in the head with an ordinary bullet, only to heal moments later. When he switches to an anti-freak bullet, however, he hesitates. This fact only makes him loathe himself more, as he lacks the resolve to break the curse of being forced to live in the body of a child forever. If Baldassare had the chance to go back in time and kill his ten-year-old self before he became a vampire, he would. He most _certainly_ would, and without a single moment of hesitation.

When he gets this way, it is usually Sister Dorothy who helps him find his feet again. It is her sincerest belief that not even the cruelest of people should have to consider taking their own life to end their suffering. The nun was the sort of person who would help someone, anyone, no matter who they were, or what their problem was, and Baldassare was no exception. In fact, of all of the people that she had offered help to, it was Baldassare who was the most grateful.

This is why Baldassare isn't afraid of being killed by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. No, they would do it quickly. His suffering would end. It was Ciel Phantomhive, however, that truly terrified him. The Watchdog would make him suffer before killing him. He _might_ torture him physically, but would _definitely_ pour salt in all of Baldassare's emotional wounds.

Baldassare is a gang leader trapped in the body of a child. It took him over two centuries of squabbling amongst the "grown-ups" to get where he is, and he had been subject to horrible treatment simply do to his face; his _baby_ face. He did not want to endure that sort of torment ever again. If anyone in his coven called him "Babyface" or anything similar, Baldassare would have their legs broken so that he could beat them over the head with a chair until he calmed down. Sometimes, the chair would break and he would need another. The leader would prove that he is in fact that as many times as necessary, but it was the Watchdog who rendered it all meaningless. Ciel was still more powerful than Baldassare would ever be, and he would pick at the vampire's psyche as he pleased. It is perhaps this reason, that the coven leader was reluctantly willing to provide information.

Now, this horrible, fearsome demon, who frightened the night-king of London's supernatural underworld, was in love? Stupidly so; with another, similarly infuriating man? That was too much for the vampire to wrap his head around, and as usual, that made him angry.

"_What the fuck?!"_ demanded the coven-master, baring his fangs. "How the fuck is that possible?! You're the Watchdog! You don't do that!"

"Do you have a problem with it, _Babyface?"_ inquired the Phantomhive, raising an eyebrow.

Those words burned Baldassare like the inferno of Dante. Veins were visible on the vampire's forehead as he seethed. Baldassare's breath was heavy and he clenched his fists. Blood dripped onto the floor as his nails cut into his palms. His eyes were aflame; wide as they glared daggers at the Phantomhive with his face contorting into a snarl.

"Don't…" he growled, his body shaking. "…Call… Me…" Slowly he turned and bent down, digging his fingertips into the wood of one of the large pews as he began to lift.

"…'_BABYFACE'!"_ he roared picking up the pew and hurling it at the demons despite his small stature.

Without even looking at each other, the demonic duo moved both spreading apart from one another to properly catch the rectangular piece of furniture. Gently, they set it down as the irate vampire came on the offensive again. It was Alois who countered him, placing one foot on the back of the seating and spinning his other around to strike Baldassare upside the head. His foe went flying into the far corner of the room as Sister Dorothy watched in horror.

"Stop it!" she shouted. "That is enough!"

Baldassare stood up, his eyes never leaving the bluenette as he rubbed his cheek. A growl escaped his throat as he weighed his options. He didn't want to destroy Sister Dorothy's church and he certainly didn't want to know what the Watchdog would do to him if he continued. With a click of his tongue, he straightened his posture and lifted his turtleneck just enough so that he could pt his hands in his shorts pockets.

"Fine." He griped, still glaring at the demons as he walked back to his original position. As he did so, he pointed a finger at them. "But don't either of you fucking faggots call me '_Babyface_' again, got it?!"

"Still as temperamental as ever, I see." Ciel said with a sigh.

"Maybe even more so than you when I first met you, huh, Ciel?" mused the more fair-haired of the demons, wrapping an arm around the bluenette's shoulders as he turned his attention to the irritable vampire. "And I already told you, I'm not gay. I love Ciel, and Ciel just happens to be a man."

"You're still the Watchdog's _bitch_, either way." Snorted Baldassare. "You sure look like you take it up the ass, doncha? Fucking cock-sucking dick-socket…"

"Wha'd you fucking say?!" Alois demanded, furrowing his brow and taking a step forward. He had to he held back from the rude blood-sucker by the bluenette. Ciel covered his mouth while he was at it.

"Jim, calm down. You're in a church." The Phantomhive said. Quickly, he took his hand away from his beau's mouth and looked at it. "Did you just _lick_ me?!"

"Who cares?! We're demons! And we kiss all the time, so what's the big deal?" the blonde asked. "I'm gonna beat the shit out of that assclown!"

"You've already kicked him in the face." Ciel stated. "Frankly, I'm surprised you'd kick someone who looks like a ten-year-old…"

"Well if _I_ hadn't, _you _would've had to! Or maybe _Sebastian!"_ The blonde stopped struggling for a moment and cupped the bluenette's cheeks in his hands to make him look him in the eyes. With a perfectly serious face he said: "Picture it for a second: _Sebastian; beating up a ten-year-old_." As the bluenette tried not to snicker, the butler only sighed.

"Please_ don't_ imagine that." Sebastian requested, shaking his head in disapproval.

"I'm almost three-hundred years old, you smelly taint-licker!" Baldassare interrupted, only to finally be smacked upside the head by the Sister.

"We do not you that kind of language here." Sister Dorothy scolded, furrowing her brows at the older vampire. Somehow, Baldassare seemed to shrink a bit.

"_Fine…"_ he grumbled, diverting his gaze toward the ground. With that, Ciel took this as a perfectly good chance to set things back on track. Taking a seat, he asked:

"Right, so why don't we get down to business, then?"

* * *

**A/N: Jesus Christ, Baldassare...  
**

**Calm yourself...**

**Looks like Alois has another nasty nickname... "The Bitch Of The Watchdog"...**

**Super...**

**Questions?**

_** "How did you decide to name him Baldassre?" by OteenagedreamO**_

**Well, this time, I wanted a specific sort of _sound,_ so I started looking for Italian names because they just happen have that sound. As to whether or not Baldassare really IS Italian or not? I have no idea yet. I just know I wanted him to sound like he could be from the renaissance, for some reason. I felt like it suited him.**

**So then I come across the name of this author from the 1500s named "_Baldassare Castiglione_", who wrote a book called "_The Book Of The Courier_". Wikipedia says about the book:**

_**"The book is organized as a series of fictional conversations that occur between the couriers of the Duke of Urbino in 1507 (when Baldassare was in fact part of the Duke's Court). In the book, the courtier is described as having a cool mind, a good voice (with beautiful, elegant and brave words) along with proper bearing and gestures. At the same time though, the courtier is expected to have a warrior spirit, to be athletic, and have good knowledge of the humanities, Classics and fine arts. Over the course of four evenings, members of the court try to describe the perfect gentleman of the court. In the process they debate the nature of nobility, humor, women, and love."**_

**Since this is the exact fucking opposite of Babyface, so naturally, _I was sold on it_. **

_**"How do vampire covens work?" by CiaranMichaelis**_

**Okay, so covens are actually kind of all over the place. They can be really small, like, just a couple guys, or they can be really big like Baldassare's. Small covens usually have little, to no structure, while bigger ones usually have the same, or similar structure. There's only a handful of "Big" covens, but there's tiny ones out the wazoo, man.  
**

**At the top is the Boss/President/Head/Whatever-that-particular-coven-goes by. That's Baldassare's position. Directly beneath the leader are three to five vampires known as "Generals". Baldassare's coven is big enough to need five.**

**The generals take orders from him and give them to their own little group called a "Sect". Baldassare has absolute power over all of them, but he doesn't have to talk to them directly. The generals do that. Each general has power over all lower ranks, and can even give orders to someone outside of their sect, however, each general has the power to override an order from another if issued to a member of their own sect. It is typically avoided. **

**Beneath the generals in the sects are three other ranks, known as "Bones", "Skins", and "Meats", (although the terms can change with each coven.) "Bones" are a higher rank, as they have seniority over "Skins". They simply have more respect. "Skins" are kind of "newbie-vampires". They're still figuring stuff out and the Bones help them out with that. The "Meats", though, are the lowest of the low. Baldassare actually doesn't have this rank in his coven fore reasons that will be explained in the next chapter. "Meats" are humans who are allied with the coven, often with the intention of becoming vampires. **

**For more info, just ask.**

_**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**_


	20. Identifying the Problem

Two bigwigs sat across from each other at a table, their respective accompaniment at their sides. With Baldassare was Sister Dorothy, and with Ciel was Sebastian and Alois. The two sides had decided after a long period of bickering, shouting, name-calling, and attempted fisticuffs, to finally sit down and talk about what the demons had actually came for. Ciel sighed as his informant glared at him with furrowed brows and arms crossed over his chest. The vampire's feet didn't even reach the floor and he was still being defiant.

"Let's get started." The bluenette said began. "We were in the middle of a murder case, where the culprits had smashed the victims' heads in with a hammer and written cryptic messages on the walls in blood. When interviewed, they said that they came into contact with a vampire with your name and asked him to turn them…"

"Lemme stop you right there, _Fido_." Baldassare interrupted. "I didn't tell them to kill anybody. Instead, I gave them directions to another coven because I didn't want them. I expected them to die."

"When we heard that, so did we, but they didn't." answered Ciel. "I already know that you want nothing to do with humans who want to be vampires. That's why your coven doesn't employ them."

"They're _disgusting_." The coven boss stated. "They're idiots who don't know what it _means_ to live forever._ I_ didn't get that choice, so I'm not giving it! I sent them there so they'd die. I didn't expect them to become '_Meats'." _

_ "'Meats'?"_ curiously echoed the blonde menace.

"_'Meats'_ are humans how are employed by covens for various reasons." The bluenette explained before Baldassare could say something insulting. "They're the lowest of the low in coven hierarchy. Baldassare's coven doesn't have that rank because he hates them."

"Oh. Makes sense." Alois said. "So they ended up working for that coven. Why would they have them paint signs in blood? Why not just bring it back with them?"

"I dunno. Could be anything." Answered the vampire. "Most likely code. Vampires are drawn to the smell of fresh blood and would come across it much more easily than a human. If you got a picture of it, then I _might_ be able to tell ya what it means."

"_Sebastian."_ The bluenette called, inviting the man to offer the vampire seated across from him a folder.

Leaning back in his seat, Baldassare took it and rummaged through it. Soon, he found what he was looking for and took the photographs out while setting the rest on the table and out of his way. The coven leader scanned it for a while, his eyes furrowing more with each passing second.

"Those bastards…" he growled.

"What is it?" asked the Phantomhive, leaning forward. Abruptly, Baldassare stood up in his chair.

"Those sons of bitches are gonna get us _all _in trouble with this shit!" He shouted. "I don't need H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. breathing down _my_ asscrack 'cause some fuckers wanted some quick cash!" He jumped up on the table and walked over to the Phantomhive before shoving the photo in his face.

"It's _advertisement_." He said. "For an _auction._ I'll give you three guesses as to what they're selling." Ciel's eyes widened before he knitted his eyebrows together and stood up.

"_Human trafficking."_ The Phantomhive answered.

"_And 'Bingo' was his name-o."_ Baldassare replied. "They're gonna sell them some fresh meat and fuck us all over. Once H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. gets word of this, they're gonna wanna look at _all_ of the covens."

"Got something to hide, Baldassare?"

"Drugs. Weapons. _Normal stuff_, but the Iron Maiden would still kick my ass for it if she doesn't shoot it." The vampire stated.

"I might be able to cut a deal of some sort." Ciel answered, looking up at the vampire who was still standing on the table. "You cooperate with us completely, and I'll convince H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to leave you and your stuff alone."

"Alright. That sounds doable." Baldassare answered, extending his hand. "Shake on it, Watchdog."

With a roll of his eye, Ciel humoured the vampire and shook his small hand, sealing the deal. Once they parted, Badassare walked back along the table and sat down in his own seat. Placing his elbows on the table, he asked:

"So, whatcha need?"

"The name of the Coven and the address would be nice, to start with." The Phantomhive answered.

"Got a piece of paper?"

"Sure." Ciel replied, tossing the vampire a notepad and a pen. Sitting up on his knees, the coven leader took it and began writing down the address.

"They're called 'Gentlemen'." Spoke the vampire as he jotted the information down. "Kind of a stupid name, if you ask me. They're the second-biggest coven in London. They like to meet in this warehouse, and the address on the advertisement is…" he trailed off, finishing his writing. He scooted the notebook and pen across the table toward the bluenette.

"…The Coronet Cinema." Ciel read aloud.

"That's right. They spruced it up real good." Baldassare stated. "I can see them holding auctions there."

"Why do you know that?"

"Because I'm _Baldassare of the Girasol coven_. I know."

"'_Girasol'…" _Ciel echoed. "That means '_Sunflower_'. I still don't understand why you renamed your coven that."

"What's not to get?" the vampire asked. "I liked them when I was human." He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "If it wasn't for this damn body, I could see them out in the sun. How depressing…"

"There's such a thing as Google images, you know…" Alois suggested. Baldassare slowly shook his head.

"_It's just not the same_…" he said, a small hint of sadness in his voice. Once he caught it, he sat straight up again and crossed his arms.

"So it that all?" He asked. "Can I go home now?"

"Certainly." Ciel replied. "I'll contact Sister Dorothy to come get you if I need anything else."

"Yeah,_ yeah_…" Baldassare griped, hopping down off his chair and putting on his absurdly big coat. The ends of it trailed along the floor as he walked toward the door. "I don't see why you need her here, though. I don't need a goddamn babysitter…"

Ciel rolled his eye before turning his attention to the nun. He said: "I'm sorry I have to always trouble you like this. We'll put the pew back where it was."

"Oh, I don't mind. I know Balda is a bit hard to manage." Sister Dorothy replied, taking Baldassare's seat. "It's been a long time since he's been that angry at you, though."

"He apparently doesn't like Alois." The bluenette said as his two flunkies moved the massive pew back where it belonged. "I didn't know he was homophobic."

"I don't really know. I think it's just messed with his image of you, is all." Suggested the nun. "You're the only person that he's really scared of, you know. You being in love with someone messes with his own 'order'. He'll get over it, eventually. The fact that you have a boyfriend sort of stabs at his machismo, as well."

"So it's just his ego, hm?" inquired Ciel, turning for a moment to glance at the others.

Noticing this, the Sister asked: "You were smiling at _him_ when we walked in, weren't you?" causing the bluenette to blush.

"Perhaps…" he bashfully admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Sister Dorothy only giggled at him.

"I'm so happy for you!" she said. "I can tell you really love him. It's legal for you to marry, now, so if you decide to tie the knot, I'd be happy to perform the ceremony!"

"_Huh?!"_ the watchdog nearly barked, his face turning completely red. "W-we're not… I-I mean, I, uh…"

"It's a good thing Baldassare left, isn't it?" the nun teased.

"_Very_." Sighed the Phantomhive, trying to calm himself down. His beau coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around his neck certainly didn't help.

"Whoa, you're really warm, Ciel…" Alois pointed out. "You okay?" The bluenette gave the nun across the table a pleading look, causing her to giggle again.

"Those two always get so of riled up when they see each other." Sister Dorothy half-lied. While she didn't really care for it, she would, since the Phantomhive looked desperate. "I'm sorry about all of those awful things that Balda said to you. He's usually much better behaved."

"I'm sorry, but that's a bit hard to believe." The blonde stated.

"I understand. He's been very good to me, though. He even helped raise the funding to renovate the church!"

"Are you serious?!" asked the menace.

"It's true! He helps me out all the time." The woman answered. "He says it's because he '_owes_' me."

"What'd you do?" the blonde asked. That's when suddenly, the nun's smile fell.

"It wouldn't be right for me to tell you." She said. "He's fragile enough as it is."

"Oh…" Alois replied. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's not your fault. You simply didn't know is all!" Sister Dorothy answered.

"Yeah, but I still feel bad. It's not really in any of my business, is it?"

"Your relationship with Ciel wasn't any of Baldassare's business, and yet he still said those things, didn't he?" the woman pointed out. "I really wish he would stop talking like that; at least in the church…"

"I'm sorry for swearing, too. I got too riled up." Alois said, resting his chin on the top of the bluenette's head. "I'm not all that sorry for kicking him, though. He tried to attack my Cielykins."

"His temper is really something." The bluenette said. "I don't think I've ever lashed out like that…"

"I do believe you have when you were younger, my lord." Sebastian chimed in, putting the file back in order. He chuckled when his master shot him a mean look. "Well, it's true. You almost slapped Lady Elizabeth once."

"You nearly slapped your ex?" Asked the menace, pinching and pulling on the Phantomhive's cheek. "Bad, Ciel!"

"I learned my lesson and would never lay a finger on my fiancé like that again…" Ciel stated, shooing the blonde's hand away. His face turned pink again as he made eye-contact with the nun across the table and remembered their previous conversation.

"'_Again'~?"_ the blonde teasingly asked. "Are you saying you have a fiancé, _still? _Have you been two-timing, Ciel? How cruel! I thought you loved me!"

"I_ do_ love you!" Ciel barked, turning to face the other man. His bravado immediately fell upon seeing the blonde's face. Bashfully, he added: "You know that's not what I meant…"

"Oh my God, Ciel, you're so cute…"

To that, the bluenette stood up, faltering as the menace somehow managed to keep his hold on him. Regardless, he dealt with it, keeping his balance. Ciel ignored his beau's presence as he made his way toward the door.

"We'll be taking our leave now." The bluenette stated, toting his boyfriend along as if the blonde were a koala latched onto his back. He nearly tripped over his own two feet when the menace teasingly blew in his ear. Sebastian soon followed the pair, trying not to snicker.

"Thank you for all of your help." The butler said in place of his master.

"Anytime." The nun answered. "Your master has become quite lively, hasn't he?"

"Yes, he's become much better-behaved, too." Spoke Sebastian. "I suppose I should be going with them."

"Have a safe trip!" The woman called as she waved "Goodbye". "I hope they have a happy future together!"

* * *

**A/N: Baldassare was a little more well-behaved this time, yeah?  
**

**Still a shithead. I like how you guys seem to all either love him or hate him. **

**Oh, and his name is pronounced kinda like "_Balda-sa-ray"_, fyi. Apparently, that was confusing...**

**Questions?**

**_"Are there covenless/lone vampires, and does Charlotte fit into that category?" by Honeycloud of RiverClan_  
**

**Yeah, of course there are. Sister Dorothy doesn't belong to any one coven, after all. Charlotte used to be a member of Charlie's coven, which is also where Amelie was crashing at the time. I guess Hellsing kind of has it's own coven? A coven is just a group, and they're not always just vampires in them.**

**Until the Next Chapter My Duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"A question for Seras, Integra, Ciel, and Alois; What is your opinion on how Wolf Glen and how they view Hellsing as monsters?"** by KuroshitsujiLover22_

_Ciel's Answer:"It's only natural, isn't it? They're a military force that keeps them almost penned in a difficult to survive in part of the city and are willing to kill them."  
_

_Alois' Answer: "Their situation kinda reminds me of the Districts and the Capitol from the Hunger Games..."_

_Integra's Answer:"I don't blame them. We kill their people, after all. We can only do so much, and we need to keep these strict rules in place so that the general public stays ignorant to their existence."  
_

_Seras' Answer: "It's kind of sad... I know we do all we can, but it's still not enough. We also can't keep individual soldiers in check at all times, so they can act really nasty, sometimes. We've had to lock up a few for going against protocol. I wish we could peacefully coexist, but there's just so much at stake..."_

_00000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Charlotte and Amelie, how do you each feel about the other?"** by Artemis Phantomhive_

_Amelie's Answer: "Amour."_

_Charlotte's Answer: "Well, she's my girlfriend, so I love her."_

_0000000000000000000000000_

_For Ciel: "**How did you react to Baldassare calling Alois those names? I mean, you seemed to stay calm while it was happening, but what were you feeling? What was going through your head?"** by GracieSutcliff1124  
_

_Ciel's Answer: "I wanted to bash his head in, of course. I couldn't because it could have jeopardized retrieval of information from him, but I wanted to put him in his place. No one talks to Jim that way, especially such scum. Trash like him should have been honoured that someone as noble as Jim kicked him in the face."_


	21. Going Home From Work

"_So, what's the plan, man?"_ asked a certain menace. The demons were en route to Phantomhive manor in their black Mercedes, including Sebastian, who secretly wished that the car was a Rolls Royce. The demonic duo sat in the backseat as per usual and discussed their agenda.

"First thing's first: we contact H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." Ciel replied. "This is their jurisdiction, now, and they _will_ want to know. Then, we pass on the information that we have, try to cut Baldassare's deal, and then we wait."

"Aw, I was hoping for some adventure." Alois stated.

"We don't know if we're _not_ going to be involved. Baldassare is _my_ informant, so if they need any more information, they'll have to go through me to get to him." Spoke the Phantomhive. "Besides, I still have to plan that _thing_ for FUNTOM."

"What kind of a Boss are you, if you can't do both?" his beau jested.

_ "A damned overworked one."_

"And now you know how _Sebastian_ probably feels." Alois said, causing the bluenette to frown and the man up front to snort. "Is it, though, Sebastian? Is it?"

"Not really." The butler said. "I've had plenty of practice juggling all of my duties. It becomes a little more difficult with each new addition, but I manage."

"Are you calling me a burden, Bass-man?"

"Do you want the actual answer, or the one I just made up?" Sebastian asked, causing the blonde in the back seat to laugh.

"The actual one." Alois said.

"Well, then, I'd say that at first, you were extremely bothersome, but since you've calmed down, you're not a problem at all." The man answered. "It's quite nice to not have to apologise to your school anymore."

"Was I that bad?"

"Jim, you threatened Kristopherson with an improvised billy-club that you made by putting coins in a sock your first year of school." The watchdog pointed out.

"I've just become more civilized, I suppose~!" his beau practically sang. The blonde arched an eyebrow when he heard the bluenette stifle a snicker. "What?"

"When you shouted at Baldassare, you started matching his '_thug-talk'_." Ciel said, causing the blonde to blush. Blood only continued to rush to his cheeks as the man in the driver's seat chuckled as well.

"I did_ not!" _Alois protested. "I don't talk like that."

"I don't mean to speak out of turn, Mister Trancy," the butler began, "but I do recall Luka commenting on your accent when he first started living with us. He said you '_talked fancy'_."

"Fine… I _used_ to, but I don't now!" insisted the menace. "Do you know how many lessons I had to take to get rid of it?!"

"Why are you embarrassed by it?" Ciel asked. "You were really intimidating. I thought I might not have been able to restrain you." He smiled as the blonde looked out the window with a pout.

"You know, I can speak four different languages, but I really don't think I could imitate that accent." He added. Ciel could see Alois grin at the thought in the reflection of the glass.

"I would kill to hear that." The blonde stated. Once again, he turned to face the bluenette. "Do it."

"What? Right now?" asked the Phantomhive.

_"Do it."_ Alois said again, with a little more force.

The smile on his face never wavered as he saw the bluenette utter a sigh. Glancing toward the front of the car, Ciel could see the butler's eyes reflected in the mirror. He didn't have to see his mouth to know that he was greatly amused by the prospect. The head of the family furrowed his brow and looked down at the floor.

"Let's see… What was it…?" he trailed off, trying to think how the blonde had spoken. With a deep breath, he looked at the blonde again and spoke.

_ "'Wha'd you fucking say?'"_ Ciel quoted. "_'I'm gonna beat the shit outta that assclown!"_ A blush spread across his face as stifled laughter could be heard from the front seat and as his boyfriend erupted into a cackling fit.

"Oh my god!" Alois howled, trying to cover his mouth with one hand and clutch at his stomach with the other. "I-! I can't—I can't believe you said that with a straight face~!"

"Shut up!" The bluenette demanded before turning his attention to the driver. "You too! Both of you be quiet!"

"I'm sorry, master, but… That was truly_ terrible_." Sebastian snickered. "Perhaps you should practice more."

"Yeah! With enough practice, you can pass for lower-class, too!" Alois chimed in, resting his arm on the back of the seat. "Think you should stick to being the '_suave'_ sort of villain. Leave the thuggy-shit to me!"

"Mister Trancy, I hardly think the master counts as _'suave'_…"

"He does when he's in '_villain-mode'!"_

"I thought I told you two to be quiet!" barked the Phantomhive.

"Oh, so you're allowed to make fun of _my_ accent from when I was a poor-boy, but we can't make fun_ you_ when you try to do it? I see. I see how it is, Ciel." Jested the menace. "_Classism_ at its finest."

"I wasn't making fun of you!" Ciel protested. He opened his mouth to continue but closed it quickly. Then, he turned his eyes toward the floor again before mumbling: "I… I actually thought it was kind of… _cool_."

Alois immediately perked up. His icy-blue eyes stared at the Phantomhive, much to his beau's discomfort, before pouncing on the other man. The blonde wrapped his arms around Ciel before saying: "You're so cute!" at the top of his lungs. He then turned his gaze to the front seat as the bluenette struggled in his grip.

"Sebastian! Sebastian! _Can we keep him?"_ he playfully asked the butler.

"I suppose we _have_ to." The older demon jested in response. "Please take good care of him." To that, the bluenette nearly growled.

_ "I hate you both so much!"_


	22. That Blonde, Butlering

Today was most certainly _not_ a good day for Alois Trancy. His beau had called H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and not only had they said that they were going to only call upon the demons if needed, Sir Integra had deliberately _banned _Alois from participating altogether! While he understood her intentions, he was still rather peeved. The woman knew that Alois wasn't very good with cases involving human trafficking, being a victim of such a crime, himself, and did not want to expose him to a mission involving it, simply to save him from recalling his trauma.

That was reasonable, but Alois, being the rather bold individual that he is, felt that it was best for him to face things head-on. He had made so much progress during the Black Annis case. If he can handle that all of that, then surely he can handle this mission as well. Still, while he was stubborn, he wasn't stupid. Arguing with Sir Integra was unwise, especially since he had finally managed to be on her good side. All he had to do was wait on everyone else. Today, in more ways than one.

It was the end of the week, and the demonic duo had made a bet. Unfortunately for the blonde menace, he had lost. Thus he donned his butler suit, which suspiciously still fit him, somehow, even though it was made several years ago, and he got to work. First order of business: wake the master.

Since it was the weekend, Alois' alarm was turned off, leaving it up to him to wake Ciel manually. He had somehow weaseled out of the bluenette's grip in order to get ready, knowing full-well that he had woken the other man in the process from the smirk on the Phantomhive's face. Now that Alois was fully clothed, however, Ciel had managed to fall back asleep in the time it took Alois to figure out the butler uniform. The blonde walked over to the bed and stretched out a hand before pausing. How does a butler wake their master, again?

After thinking about it, Alois took his hand back and left the room altogether. When he returned, he had a tray in hand with tea on it and a newspaper tucked under his arm. He then set that down and walked over to the curtains that shielded the room from the light outside. When was the last time they were opened?

It didn't matter. After mustering all of his strength, Alois opened the curtains. The light pouring into the room caused Ciel to stir. Confusedly, he opened his eyes to see his beau standing there with the most butler-like smile he could muster.

"_Good morning, Master. It's time to wake up_." The blonde greeted, slowly dying inside already. He did his best to conceal his embarrassment, allowing only a little bit of blood to rush to his cheeks. The dumbfounded look on the Phantomhive's face, however, was quite pleasant.

Ciel sat up and rubbed his eye, making sure he saw what he was seeing correctly. He had almost forgotten about the bet for a moment, he was so taken aback. The blonde's fair skin and hair almost glowed in the new lighting, and the butler uniform was almost predictably appealing to the bluenette. Ciel loved it when Alois' appearance or demeanor was somewhat "powerful". After all, the Phantomhive did love power. He gawked when the blonde handed him the newspaper before gliding over to pour the tea.

"Uh… good morning…" the bluenette said, watching the other man carefully. When the blonde looked over his shoulder to catch Ciel staring, the Phantomhive quickly opened the newspaper and pretended to read it. Perhaps this would be more entertaining for the blonde than he thought. Alois smirked to himself before swiftly concealing it again to hand his new "master" his tea.

"Earl Grey." The blonde said as the other man took the cup and saucer. He remembered that it was the watchdog's favourite. Ciel put the cup to his lips before pausing.

"It smells like there's rosemary in this." The bluenette said. He looked up at the menace, who did his best to not allow his smile to turn mischievous.

"A pinch." He replied, holding his index finger and thumb together.

"You're devious." Accused his beau, taking a sip.

"Not especially." Alois answered. "_I'm simply one hell of a butler."_

Ciel choked, nearly spitting out his drink at those words. He couldn't tell if it was because he wanted to laugh, or something else, but he quickly righted himself to keep from making a mess. He could tell, however, that the menace was amused by his reaction.

"Are you alright, _master?"_ inquired the blonde, putting emphasis on his beau's temporary title. Ciel set his tea down on the nightstand next to their bed and wiped his mouth before shooting his new "butler" a glare.

"Shouldn't you be working, or something?" he asked, only to have the blonde shrug at him.

"Most likely, but I'm not entirely sure what a butler does." The menace stated. "You could give me an order. Or, perhaps you would like me to help you get dressed?" he teased.

"_That won't be necessary!"_ the Phantomhive insisted. He shouldn't have made this bet. Even though he was the victor, he could tell that this was going to be a long day. "Why don't you… uh… go… get my things organised in my office so I can start back up with FUNTOM business."

"As you wish, _sir_." Alois replied, offering a small bow. As he turned to walk away, he smirked and was sure to add a little more effort into his strides, simply because he knew the bluenette would be watching him.

He was right. Indeed, Ciel was watching; paying special attention to the blonde's hips as they sashayed from side to side. The sight almost made the man want to grab onto them and—

As soon as the door had shut behind the menace, Ciel threw his pillow at it, irritated that his amusing idea had completely backfired on him and became a means for Alois to toy with him. He certainly wasn't going to turn this into something obscene, but the situation was tempting. Quickly, the Phantomhive gently slapped his own face to wake himself up before hoisting himself out of bed to make his way toward the bathroom for a shower. Perhaps the water would clear his head and help him remember the important tasks that he was supposed to complete that day.

Perhaps Ciel could "order" Alois to follow Sebastian around and help him with his duties. That would keep the menace out of his sight and absolve him of the potential distraction. Meanwhile, Sebastian had secured a location some time ago, and had suggested to the Phantomhive a caterer for the FUNTOM event. Ciel needed to contact them and as well as go through those perfume samples, still. Why couldn't the marketing team do that? Why was it that the owner of the company had to hand-pick these items? They had claimed that it made it seem more "important" if the owner did so himself. What a joke.

Soon, the CEO had to get out and get dressed. Once he did, he made his way toward his office. He took a deep breath upon approaching the door, having sensed the blonde's presence on the other side. When he opened it, he saw the menace leaning over the desk, writing something down with one hand, and holding his cell-phone in the other, occasionally glancing at it. When he was finished, he looked up at the bluenette.

"What were you writing?" Ciel asked, walking over to the other man and looking at the paper. "These are my notes…"

"I know." Alois replied. "I was writing down all of the things that weren't on there and that weren't done. I had Sebastian text me a few things that might also be important."

His beau actually raised his eyebrows at the new notes. Alois had written down the phone number for the caterer, as well as a recommendation for someone to do the decorating and their contact information. Apparently, Ciel's wardrobe situation had slipped his mind, and there were several names written down as possible attendees. Finally, the watchdog looked up from the notebook.

"You've saved me a lot of time…" he said. "Thank you."

"I was only doing as instructed." The Macken practically beamed. "I've sorted most of the paperwork, and can finish that in a few minutes."

"Nevermind that." Stated the bluenette. "I need you to go help Sebastian with his duties."

"Huh? Why?" asked the younger demon. "I thought the deal was for me to serve you for the day?"

"A butler doesn't question his master's orders." Ciel pointed out, smirking inwardly at the blonde's pout. With that, Alois offered a small bow.

"_My apologies, sir_." He said in the snidest way possible. When he straightened himself, he turned toward the door. "I'll get right on it."

"Just a moment." Interrupted the bluenette, catching Alois' attention. His temporary butler looked over his shoulder, waiting for him to continue. "Come here for a second."

Curiously, Alois walked back over to the Phantomhive's desk, where his boss was seated. When he stopped, the bluenette simply motioned for him to come closer, so he did, walking around the desk to be at the other man's side. Arching an eyebrow, the Macken was confused as to why Ciel motioned for him to come even closer still. He assumed that there was something wrong with his notes and bent himself at the waist to lean in.

"Yes?" he called, only for the watchdog to grab his tie and pull him closer. He would have made a sound of surprise, had his beau not connected their lips. The blonde's eyes fluttered shut and he placed one hand on the back of the man's chair and the other on his desk. He sighed through his nose, but as soon as he did, the bluenette gently pushed him away.

"You forgot _my 'Good Morning'_ kiss." Ciel stated, a smirk gracing his face as his new, temporary servant started blushing like mad. With that, he released the other man's tie and turned back to his desk.

"Now, fix your uniform and get back to work." He instructed, rather content with himself, having regained the upper-hand. His amusement was equally matched by his partner's embarrassment, as Alois furrowed his brow and straightened his back.

"_Y-yes, sir."_ He forced out, trying to maintain at least a shred of his pride. Alois snorted as he walked away, placing his tie back in his vest and making his exit. This time, he made no effort in his walk, tickling the bluenette even more.

A masculine and seductive Alois was good, but an embarrassed and indignant Alois was just as charming. In all honesty, Ciel didn't know which one he liked more. Fortunately, he didn't have to choose. Now that the menace had left and that the Phantomhive had to work again, he couldn't help but think that he should have teased his blonde for a little while longer.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this spawns some dirty fanficceptions.  
**

**Remember kids: Alois doesn't like it from behind.**

**...Or maybe... Since Ciel likes Manly-Alois...**

**Pfft-! I'm sorry. I'm actually just sort of stalling until I figure out how I want this next arc to go. **

**You know how it is.**

**Aiyt, Questions?**

**_"what year is it now in DLTP? How old is Luka?" by CiaranMicaelis_  
**

**It's October 2014, and Luka is... I want to say 11... He was nine when he first showed up... DLTD starts in 2010, so when was that?**

_**"HateWeasel: How are you? Life in college doing ya any good? And, I know you must've answered this question a bunch of times but HOW CAN YOU MAKE YOUR CHARACTERS-your OCS- likable? I mean, I hate OCs but in DLTD/P you make me forget that they're even OCs! What's your damn good secret, if you have any. :))" by I'm just a person now read 66**_

**I dunno. I just treat them like they're real people. They have real problems, real weaknesses, and insecurities that people deal with every day. Sometimes, they respond badly and totally fuck shit up. Even your goodest of good-guys can, and sometimes, they _aren't_ forgiven. They aren't always liked by everybody, especially immediately. They can be serious assholes sometimes, because that's what even perfectly nice people are like. I don't want to read about mister/missus perfect card-board cutout, I want to read about someone who isn't the strongest, smartest, or best, who struggles with things, no matter how small they may seem overcome that and succeed because that's something that almost everyone identifies with. They have to have things that are important to them, and their own lives outside the story.**

**A lot of the personalities of the characters are based both on people I've met or seen, or even off of qualities that I, myself have, even if they aren't good. Just keep your characters real, man. Make them "people", not "characters".**

**One of the things that's a really big turn-off for me in OCs is just the naming of the character. There's names that just immediately make me not want to read something upon seeing them in the description because I've heard them so many goddamn times, and a lot of them are Mary Sues. It's like a "Sue-dar". Names that are common to make people think "Sue" are Alice, Sophie/Sophia, Raven, Anastasia (which is why I gave it to a background character who was originally snobbish), and stuff like that. **

**There's also the rule that "If you wouldn't meet someone on the street with that name, don't use it." That sounds really stupid, but think about it. If you're trying to make a realistic "person", why the hell would you name them something bizarre like that? The only exceptions to the rule is if that name is specific to a character's nationality, or if there's a fantasy element that's really really in your face. If they're some ancient being, then yeah, that's totally cool, but don't name some "ordinary" highschooler from New York "Balthazar" or "Cornelius" or some shit.**

**That just annoys me beyond reason to perhaps an extent that is somewhat inappropriate... I do break the rule though. I specifically chose "Kristopherson Miles" because it was pretentious-sounding as fuck, and I picked "Preston" because it sounded really British at the time. I usually pick names of old classmates, or relatives, or people whose names I just happen to catch and then slap a surname on it.  
**

**There's probably more, but it's 2 am.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET**_

_Question: **"for Revy: Where have you been? And why do you look cooler than Alois (in my head)? Why are you so punk? Why are you so coolishly emo? I don't think you look like Alois that much anymore since I think you have your own flair. And last question: Can you be my adorably cool guy friend? ****And Ciel: Stop imitating your boyfriend. You suck at it. And you're undeniably hilarious when you do that. "** by I'm just a person now read 66  
_

_Revy's Answer: I've been at school. I started at Warwick this year and I hate it. I dunno if I'm 'punk'. I just wear whatever's comfy and practical. I don't really think I'm 'emo', and I only really look like Alois in the face and body area, really, since my eyes are this gross black colour, I dress completely different and I cut my hair and don't really do anything to it. I'm told we make different expressions, though. He's a lot cooler, too, so I dunno where you got that idea. He's a lot better dressed and just carries himself a certain way, y'know? And... uh... sure, I guess?"_

_Ciel's Answer: "Oh, well there's one impression I can do: '**Piss off.**'"_

_00000000000000_

_Question: **"To Sebastain: Are you still in your tailcoat or have you adopted a more modern attire to avoid suspicion?"** by Blonde Sunflower lover_

_Sebastian's Answer: Not really. The more modern-looking uniforms aren't as pleasing to the eye, especially since they look like the suits worn by the masters! My 'traditional-style' uniform, as they call it, is much more suitable. Since I **am** a butler, it's not suspicious in the slightest."_


	23. Ideaman

"_So the master wants you to assist me for the day?"_ asked the official butler of the household to the blonde menace. In reply, his new protégé nodded.

"Yep. _He wants me out of his sight_." Alois said cheerfully, knowing full-well the reason as to why. He was going to somehow weasel his way back into the bluenette's office, but for now, he would play along with his wishes. Sebastian only sighed.

"So the master made this bet while forgetting what seeing you dressed up _does _to him?" he half asked, but mostly stated. The butler shook his head and rubbed his temples at the silliness of his master.

"Oh, so I take it you know about that?" inquired the menace. While he was a bit embarrassed, his beau did make it plainly obvious.

"I've seen the way he stares at you." Sebastian said. "It's as though he's eyeing prey, only more _obscene_. Then again, it is a bit amusing to see him turn into such a babbling mess while trying to restrain himself."

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to turn your master into a massive pervert. It wasn't my intention, I promise." Alois replied.

"It's alright." The headbutler stated. "If it wasn't you, someone else might've awakened his brutish self."

"Do you always insult your master behind his back?" the blonde mused. Sebastian smiled.

"Oh, heavens, no. I would never do such a thing out loud." The older man said, prompting a laugh from the younger.

_"'Out loud'."_ Echoed Alois, grinning as he placed his hands on his hips. "So, Bass-man, what do ya need me to do?"

"Since I've already prepared breakfast, you can help clean up." Sebastian said. "I'll go tend to the master and the others while they're eating. Just load the dishwasher and put the pots that are too big to fit in the sink. If you want to get started on scrubbing them before I get back, that's fine, if you don't, then that's fine, too."

"Alright." The blonde said, removing his tailcoat.

Sebastian pulled his own off of the coatrack and put it on before taking some of the food to serve. His new protégé replaced it with his own before rolling up his sleeves. The blonde took off his gloves and set them aside before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a hair-tie and pulling his hair back into a ponytail. It had become a habit to keep one on him after the Black Annis mission. They were surprisingly convenient, he found, keeping his hair nicely out of his face. There were always three locks of blonde hair, though, that were two short and that always did as they pleased, however. It didn't matter, Alois had work to do.

He started picking up bowls and utensils before putting them in the dishwasher. It wasn't nearly full even with the pans in it, so he decided to wait until breakfast was over to load it with empty dishes. Alois put the containers that didn't fit in the sink and began scrubbing since he had nothing better to do. Soon, he realised that he needed the small nozzle attachment to rinse with, however, when he grabbed the device, he realised that he had absolutely no idea how to use it. He turned it over and over in his hand, trying to figure it out, eventually finding a small button.

"_Wagh!"_ he cried out after pressing it.

What the blonde didn't know was that the nozzle shot water out at a higher pressure than the faucet. He startled himself, spraying water all over creation and dropping the pot in his other hand with a loud _crash! _By the time he managed to shut it off, he was soaked. Embarrassed, Alois furrowed his brow and picked the pot up off the floor before debating on where he could locate a mop. At least no one had been around to see that. The blush on his face spread, however, when he heard someone walk in the kitchen.

"_What was that noise?"_ asked Sebastian as he entered, curiously followed by Ciel. The Phantomhive wanted to know just how exactly the menace had faltered, seeing as though this wouldn't be a very good penalty if the blonde wasn't embarrassed by the victor.

What he saw, however, only embarrassed himself. Alois was soaking wet, his white, freshly translucent shirt sticking to his skin, his vest now concealing his torso while tightly hugging him. Water dripped from Alois' furrowed brow and down his reddened cheeks as well as his neck and forearms. The ponytail was new. It made it easier for Ciel to see his beau's face, as he could no longer hide it. The Phantomhive's face turned pink and he shuddered, unwittingly prompting his usual butler to roll his eyes.

"Uh… I didn't know how to work the nozzle…" Alois answered. "Just tell me where I can find a mop and I'll clean it up."

"In the closet over there." Sebastian said, pointing. "Then get changed and I'll throw your suit in the dryer after breakfast if done."

"Got it." The blonde replied, offering a playful salute. He was too focused on his mistake to really pay much attention to the bluenette's current state. Instead, he busily went digging in the closet, completely unaware of Ciel's watchful eye. The Phantomhive stared at him quite intently before he was abruptly snapped back to his senses.

"Master, please don't fantasize in the kitchen." Sebastian said, rubbing his forehead. His troublesome master nearly jumped at his statement.

"I was _not."_ Ciel said forcefully before turning to leave. His disapproving butler followed him back to the dining room, allowing Alois to work. As if the Phantomhive's thoughts weren't clouded already, they certainly were now.

He had managed to get a hold of the caterer, and needed to go and discuss with them what exactly he needs them to do some time that afternoon. Additionally, he had gotten quite a few of the invitations done, thanks to Alois, and needed to mail them out. Hopefully, after breakfast, Kristopherson was awake and he could talk to him about possibly tailoring a suit. His "work suit" simply wouldn't do in this case. It was intentionally cheap, given the fact that the duo goes through them often due to various accidents.

"_Work. Think about work, Ciel…"_ the Phantomhive internally scolded himself. As he sat back down at the table, though, he still couldn't get the blonde out of his mind.

"_Think about what just happened."_ He thought as he resumed eating. "_Jim completely soaked the kitchen while trying to do dishes. That is __**not**__ arousing. And what was with the ponytail? I guess his hair is so long that it might get in his way. I could probably actually see the back of his neck for once. Huh… that's kind of-"_

"Ciel?" called Luka, startling the bluenette. Quickly, the Phantomhive shook his head before looking up at the youngest of the Macken brothers.

"Yes, Luka?" Ciel asked, smiling as he sat up straight in his chair.

"Are you okay? You keep making weird faces." The boy replied. "Like you're angry…"

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm not angry." The head of the household stated. "I'm just thinking about work. There's still a lot to do for the FUNTOM Anniversary event."

"_Uh-huh_…" Revy snidely remarked from his seat next to Luka. The revenant looked over his sunglasses at the bluenette, knowing full-well what the situation is. Everyone in the household knew already that Alois lost a bet and now had to act as a butler and Revy could figure out pretty well that the demon's thoughts were not at all pure. He finally started eating again as Ciel shot him a silent warning to not say a single word about it. All of this, however, was completely missed by Luka.

"Is it gonna be fun?" the youngest asked, tilting his head while looking at the bluenette expectantly. A smile was on his face as he imagined what it would be like.

"Probably not." Ciel said with a chuckle. "There's candy and toys, but the toys aren't for playing with, so that just leaves you with candy and boring talks with grown-ups."

"Why can't you play with the toys?"

"Because we're showcasing them instead. It's like we're advertising them." Explained the watchdog. "We just give a presentation on what they do."

"But on TV, there's always kids playing with the toys in the commercials." Luka said. "It would be boring if they just sat there."

With that, Ciel practically froze. After a few moments, he leaned back in his chair, appearing to be deep in thought. A smile spread across his face as he looked back to the boy.

"You're absolutely right, Luka." He said finally. With a glance toward his original butler, he asked: "Sebastian? Do you know if any of our guests have children?"

"No, but I can certainly find out." Sebastian replied.

"Good. I need to arrange a meeting with the marketing team, and after that, we may need to make slight altercations to the invitations." The bluenette stated before looking back to Luka. "That was a very good idea."

"What was?" the lad asked. "Oh! Are you gonna invite some kids to play?!"

"If all goes well, then yes." Ciel answered.

"Can I come?!"

"Luka, you've got horns…" said Revy, completely dashing the boy's excitement. Luka sank in his seat before the boyfriend of his oldest brother said:

"I'll see if I can come up with something. I can't tell you that it's a definite '_yes_' or '_no_', but I can give you a '_maybe'_." With that, he set his utensils down and stood up. "I need to get started."

"Very well then, sir." Sebastian said, walking over to pick up the bluenette's plate. Suddenly, he noticed something that made him grin.

"I didn't know you liked _broccoli,_ my lord." He stated, immediately forcing the Phantomhive to pause. Ciel hadn't been paying attention to what he was eating during his less than savory ponderings. To his disgust, the taste suddenly registered.

"I _don't_." he said as he made his exit, his pace quickening. "I'm going to my office."

"Don't gorge yourself on candy when you get there." The butler warned.

"_I'm_ the master of the house, not _you_, Sebastian!" the bluenette called back as he shut the door. First thing when he got to his destination was to hopefully rid his mouth of this taste, and then contact the faux-blonde about his wardrobe. Sebastian simply rolled his eyes.

"He's silly sometimes, isn't he?" Luka mused, a wide grin on his face.

"Indeed, he is." Chuckled the butler. "But that's how things should be."

* * *

**A/N: Huhuhu... Another fanservice-ish chapter with a teensy bit of plot thrown in~!  
**

**You are welcome.**

**Hopefully we'll quit dickin' around and like, get back to plotty shit fer reelz soon.**

**Questions?**

_**"To HateWeasel: I recently learned Black Butler was originally going to be a yaoi and as a person who wrote a Black Butler yaoi fanfic herself how do you feel about that? Are you disappointed it wasn't or do you think it was better off in the end not being one." by NessaTheSinner**_

**Okay, this is gonna get kinda ranty, I can feel it.**

** First thing's first: DLTD is not a "Yaoi" fanfic. The romance in it falls more into "Shounen ai", and even then, it's not the main focus. "Yaoi" is pornographic in nature, while "Shounen Ai" is strictly "Boy's love", or romance. There is a difference, and it can actually help you when you search for things.**

**Now, onto the next part. I have made this clear on tumblr, but not on here, but that statement makes me _really angry_. I haven't talked about it here, so you just didn't know, and that's okay, but for future reference, y'know? The reason why it makes me so angry is because it is 100% _FALSE._ Kuroshitsuji was not ever intended to be either yaoi or shounen ai for that matter. **

**The way manga works is that an artist works for a magazine or publisher. In Kuroshitsuji's case, the magazine is _GFantasy_ and the publisher is _Gangan comics,_ which is owned by Square Enix. It's Toboso's _second_ manga with Gangan, the other one being "_Rust Blaster_". Now, Gangan typically specializes in shounen and seinen manga. They've published _Kuroshitsuji, Durarara!, Zombie Loan, Soul Eater, Corpse Princess, Pandora Hearts, Nabari no Ou_, _Pani Poni, Mononoke, Space Dandy, _and a shit-ton of manga adaptions for videogames like_ Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, Kidgom Hearts_, and _The Legend of Zelda_.**

**They DO NOT publish yaoi manga. That option is not even on the table, here. If you suggested that, you would either be written off as a joke or fired. They don't publish yaoi because they wouldn't profit from it, given their current demographic. That's just good business.**

** What I think helped spawned this idea was the fact that Toboso has drawn a series of yaoi one-shots BEFORE she worked with Gangan and GFantasy called "_Glamorous Lip_". In it, can be seen characters whose likenesses resemble the cast of both _Kuroshitsuji_ and _Rust Blaster_. It's incredibly common for manga-ka to recycle character designs from old work. For example, Kohta Hirano, author of _Hellsing_, reused character designs for practically the_ entire cast_ of _Hellsing_ from old hentai he drew before he started working for his magazine, _Young King Ours_.**

** For the record, by the way, one of the "Ciel" prototypes in _Glamorous Lip_ ends up with some guy who is absolutely nothing like Sebastian or anybody in Kuro, so that argument's blocked off, too. If you said that made it canon, then by that logic, Ciel's a cheater.  
**

**So the question you asked within itself was wrong. Kuro was never supposed to be a yaoi, and that little bit of misinformation has been spreading around the fandom like a disease. There's this little meme thing that looks like one of those "fact" things, but it's false. I actually have it saved on my computer. It say's "facebook" in the corner for Christ's sake.**

**Sorry, I get really serious about this. I'm not mad at either the person who asked this, or the people who believed this to be true. Simply not-knowing something isn't an offense, but knowing and refusing to reevaluate is.**

**We cool? **

**Until the Next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"So Alois how does it feel like, y'know waking up next to Ciel every morning? (I can't believe I asked this but my friend wanted to know) ****Mr. Phantomhive ever thought of tying a knot, y'know marrying Alois? Who'd be the husband of the relationship? and Alois where would you want to go for Honeymoon?"** by Socially Awkward Oreo Monster  
_

_Ciel's Answer:__"I... Uh... The thought might have... crossed my mind... on occasion... Shouldn't we wait until Jim is done with school or something?" _

_Alois' Answer: "It's so nice. He's super-cuddly and pretty. I usually wake up first so I just pretend to be asleep for a bit so I can enjoy it~! He's the best warm-spot, and he's super-cute when he first wakes up. His hair's a mess and he's all groggy... It's cute. Trust me. _

_I dunno where I'd want to go for that. You can do it almost anywhere; although I'd prefer a bed. Besides, isn't consummating one's marriage just to secure possession of property back when girls could be married off for like, a couple of goats or something?"_


	24. We Got Troubles

London, United Kingdom. The city was falling asleep, for the most part, but was still lively with the nightcrowd. At this time, a businessman sat in his taxi on his way home, smirking to himself at the ingenious deal that he had just arranged. The FUNTOM toy company marketing department had agreed to take over the planning of the arrangement of the 170th Anniversary event in accordance to the new ideas that the man in the taxi proposed. The pressure was no longer on just the CEO's shoulders, now. He had implemented a strategy to target their market directly. Children do not care about big fancy parties. They care about toys! Thus, the CEO had decided to set things up so that he could invite the children of his guests as well to fully showcase the toys' value. As the man once said:

_ "To get to the parents you must market to the children."_ Ciel couldn't believe it, but it in fact took a _child_ to remind him of that.

Once Ciel got home, he was now free to do as he pleased. All he had to do was get his wardrobe arranged for the event, keep in touch with the main office, and wait for the set date to arrive. Thanks to Luka, he had managed to weasel his way out of dealing with all of the troublesome work by increasing the workload to require the team of professionals to simply do it. His smirk grew wider at the thought and he wanted to laugh, but he was already frightening the cabbie in the front seat enough as it is.

By the time he reached the manor, the cab driver was surely convinced that Ciel was in the mafia or something. The massive structure that he called "home" certainly didn't help. Once the taxi was completely gone and out of sight, the Phantomhive began to walk up the steps to the front door, de-aging himself in the process and resuming his usual appearance. After all, the "CEO of FUNTOM" was supposedly "different" person. He raised a hand to knock on the door, but when he brought it down again to hit its wooden surface, it opened and the blonde peeked his head out.

_ "Ow…"_ Alois said, rubbing his forehead. It was a gentle bop on the head, but it was still surprising.

"Sorry." Apologized the bluenette after being ushered inside. "I didn't expect you to be there."

"You can sense me, can you?" inquired the menace, taking Ciel's coat. He was still in his butler uniform, which had been dried just a little while after the bluenette had left. The game was still on, after all, though, admittedly, he spent a lot of the time while Ciel was out not working in the slightest. He had been when the bluenette came up, though, which is why his blonde locks were still pulled back out of his face. The whole get-up on altogether really made Alois seem like a butler. Now, that simply wouldn't do for the Phantomhive. "We still have our contracts, you know."

"I was thinking about how I just got out of having to do the work for the FUNTOM event." Ciel answered, following the blonde as he trekked upstairs to put the bluenette's coat back in his office where he usually leaves it. "Now I can focus on vampires."

He paused, eyeing the menace's exposed neck as the other man was about to open the office door. Without any warning whatsoever, the Phantomhive reached out, wrapping his arms around the man's waist and gently nibbling at his neck from behind. He smirked into the blonde's skin as Alois uttered a small gasp.

"…_And on cute blondes."_ Ciel added flirtatiously, noting how his lover blushed all the way up to his ears. It took a few seconds, but the menace finally managed to clear his throat and open the door. He walked inside, escaping the bluenette's grasp momentarily before putting the other man's coat on the coatrack in the corner.

"That's hardly an appropriate way to act toward a servant, _'sir'." _Alois stated, placing his hands on his hips as he turned to face the Phantomhive. To that his beau simply scoffed before taking a seat on one of the couches.

"Had this been one-hundred years ago, that could have been debatable, but now you can get in serious trouble for treating the staff however you like." The bluenette answered. "Such a shame."

"Is this why you were so eager to leave? Am I a distraction, '_master'?"_

"Very much so, I'm ashamed to say."

"The question was rhetorical." Alois stated, smirking at the Phantomhive. "I already knew the answer from your earlier actions."

"I did nothing…" argued the watchdog, averting his eye.

"Really? I heard you were completely out of it at breakfast with a lewd expression on your face."

"Did Sebastian or Revy tell you that?"

"Revy. Sebastian said that you couldn't stop drooling in the kitchen."

"So he saw that…" Ciel groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"_Nah,_ I don't really know. _I lied._ Sebastian didn't say anything." The blonde grinned. "But you were watching, though?"

"Are you trying to toy with me?"

"I'm not '_trying'._ I'm '_succeeding'_."

"How dare you make a mockery of your '_master'?"_ demanded the bluenette.

"I thought it would make things easier for you, since you're obviously just dying for an excuse to _'punish'_ me." Alois jested, leaning on the back of the couch that sat just opposite to the Phantomhive, causing the man to furrow his brow.

"You would probably enjoy it, though, so it wouldn't be much of one."

"My mistake, I thought I was merely complying with my master's wishes." Alois stated with a small bow. Now, yet another sinister expression graced the Phantomhive's features.

"In that case, come here." He instructed, holding a hand out to the temporary butler. With an amused expression, the blonde heeded the man's request, only to let out a small yelp when he was pulled into Ciel's lap. His face turned completely red as the bluenette began to kiss his neck again.

"You're going to have to take responsibility for making me act his way." The Phantomhive hummed, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist.

"_I_ didn't make you do anything." Protested the blonde. "_You're_ responsible for your own actions!"

"I'm not the one wearing the butler uniform, though."

"But you're the one who made me wear it!"

"I'm sorry." Ciel replied. He reached a hand up and loosened the blonde's tie before undoing the top two buttons of his shirt. Now he had even better access. "I forgot how I get when I see you looking especially attractive." He paused to kiss up the blonde's neck again.

"The ponytail is a nice touch." The bluenette added. "Now I can even reach your ears." He whispered before licking the shell of the sensory organ. He smirked as the man in his arms uttered another gasp and took that as an invitation to nibble on his ear.

"Y-you're awful…" Alois accused, trying to regain the upper-hand. "I didn't know you had a butler-fetish, Ciel."

"Hmm… I don't think I do." Answered the watchdog, reaching a hand up behind the blonde's head to tug at the man's hair-tie. He pulled back as the menace's fair-hair fell back in its usual fashion. With the same hand, he tangled his fingers into the flaxen lock and brought Alois' face closer. "I think I like you a lot better as a boyfriend than a butler."

"Likewise." Stated the menace as he kissed his beau. "I'm not really into the whole _master-servant_ thing." His arms made their way around the other man's neck as he shifted in Ciel's lap to get more comfortable. He smiled into the kiss as his boyfriend groaned lowly at the movement. Just then, the phone rang.

"Son of a fuck…" the blonde uttered as they parted, glaring in the general direction of the device. He knew it was probably important, since it was the work phone, but he really didn't want to get out of the bluenette's lap right then.

With a sigh, Ciel simply sat there for a moment, listening to the phone ring. He didn't want to separate himself from the menace, either, but when duty calls, he simply cannot ignore it. It was most likely FUNTOM-related. Thus, he moved his arms so that they could support the blonde and simply picked Alois up and carried him over to the desk, causing his beau to giggle. They both plopped down in the large chair behind the desk before the bluenette finally leaned over and answered the call.

"Phantomhive." He greeted once the phone was up to his ear. He leaned back and played with Alois' hair as he waited for the person on the other end to speak.

"Ciel, it's Integra." Answered the voice on the other end. Whatever the head of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization was calling for, just from the tone of the woman's voice, the Phantomhive knew it couldn't be good.

"Did you find any developments in the '_Graffiti'_ case?" the gentleman asked, trying to fit together what the woman could need. The answer was far worse.

"No. It's _August."_ Sir Hellsing replied. "_She's gone."_

August Remy was a lesser demon that Ciel had acquired during the Black Annis raid. When he first met her, she was a full demon, sadistic and cruel, but when he saw her again after he supposedly killed her, she became docile. She was curious, friendly, and loyal to her new master who has "kind" enough to give her a name. August was sent to work for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; as they didn't want the lesser demon around Luka and Revy. While Jonnathan, another demon whom they acquired, stayed with agent Heinrich Strumer, August stayed within the basement of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. estate along with the rest of their supernatural operatives. Now, she was gone?

"She's dead?" Ciel asked, unsure of where this was going.

"No. Disappeared." The woman replied. "Remy left the base on a mission with a squad, only to disappear in the midst of battle. The rest of the squad came back and reported this. We haven't seen her since."

"Do you want me to try to locate her?"

"No." Integra stated. The woman seemed quite fond of that word that evening. "I have Seras working on that. I need you to work on the _Graffiti_ case again. You're the only one who can talk to your informant, after all. We've located their hideout and are debating on what action needs to be taken next. You'll be on our call-list."

"Alright." Said Ciel, continuing to play with his beau's hair as he conversed. "I'll be ready if you need me."

"Good. As for you, _Macken_, who I _know_ is listening in, you're still not allowed to work on this case." The Hellsing said, prompting the menace's attention. Alois leaned in to talk into the phone as well.

"No fair!" he accused. "I'm Ciel's assistant!"

"Stop joking. It's perfectly reasonable and you know it." Spoke Integra on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, I know. I just feel left out."

"If we can get more information on what goes on in there, I might reconsider, but until then, it's a definite _'no'_."

"Fiiiinnneee." Groaned the menace, pulling away from the phone to rest his forehead on the bluenette's free shoulder. Much to the Phantomhive's dismay, Alois began tracing random patterns on his chest before reaching up to undo the man's tie.

"Is there anything else?" asked Ciel, doing his very best not to sound distracted. "If you need any help with August, too, let me know and I'll do what I can."

"Will do. That will be all, your mind is obviously elsewhere." Sir Hellsing answered. "I'm sorry for interrupting."

"_Wait, that's not-!"_ before Ciel could fabricate an excuse, his relative had already hung up. With a sigh, he leaned over and put the phone back on the receiver before leaning back and wrapping his arm back around his beau.

"I hate you." He said, causing the blonde to laugh.

"Don't worry, she probably thinks I was just messing with you while you were on the phone, and technically, that _is_ what I was doing." Alois replied. He leaned in to kiss the bluenette on the cheek. "Oh, and I love you, too."

"And you say _I'm_ the horrible one."

"_You're_ the one who tried to seduce me in the first place." Pointed out the menace. "And you can't blame the suit because you're the one who made me wear it."

"Why is it that you always find a way to back me into a corner?" inquired the bluenette.

"I'm just pointing out the facts, here, Poochie." Alois pecked the other man on the lips. _"You're a pervert_. Accept it. _Embrace it!_ Make it your own."

"I didn't used to be a pervert until you came along." Ciel stated, helping the blonde remove his tailcoat while shifting in the Phantomhive's lap so that he was straddling the man. Once that part of the uniform was on the floor, Alois wrapped his arms back around his lover's neck before touching their foreheads together.

"Now _that,_ I have no evidence to either deny or support, so consider yourself lucky this time."

* * *

**A/N: Last Butler!Alois chapter. I _PROMISE._  
**

**Just blatant fanservice. I'm not sorry.**

**Okay, maybe I am a little bit...**

**But at least there was a little bit of plot! That's exciting!**

**Did we do anything else in this chapter? Wow... That's... kind of disappointing, really...**

**NEEDS MORE MURDER.**

**I miss murder, and action, and shit going down. I need to crush you all a bit again, don't I?**

**Questions?**

**_"Hate-senpai, do you plan on bringing Claude or anyone else from Kuro into DLTP?" by Vannaluv_  
**

**I don't really know, but definitely NOT Claude. A soul pierced by the __****Lævateinn** is destroyed completely, so it's impossible to bring him back. As for everyone else, I can't say for certain. Depends on where this goes.

**I do think it would be funny for Lizzie to show up and see Ciel and Alois making out. I don't think she'd be _angry_, but just really, really, really confused. **

**Her cousin and former fiance... passionately snogging... with a man... _How scandalous._**

_**"do you have Wattpad?" by I'm just a person now read 66**_

**I'm not entirely sure what that is, to be honest.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Quesstion: **"To Sister Dorothy: So exactly how long have you known Ciel? Also what's your impression of Sebastian? Did you know he once did the "you know what" with a nun?"** by NessaTheSinner  
_

_Sister Dorothy's Answer:"I've known them for about thirty years or so, but there's a lot that I still don't know about them! It was only recently that I saw Sir Phantomhive smile genuinely for the first time. Mister Michaelis is charming, but somehow sinister at the same time. And excuse me?"  
_

_000000000000000000_

_Question: **"For Amelie - do other supernaturals try to flirt with Charlotte? Any particular flirts you despise?"** by RapunzelInTheSnow_

_Amelie's Answer: "Non, mostly humans on the base. The supernaturals are either heterosexual women, in a relationship, or just not not shitheads."_


	25. The Brainstorm of Babylon

Hellsing Manor; the place of residence of the Hellsing family, and base of operations _for Her royal England Legions of Legitimate Supernatural and Immortal Night Guard,_ or "_H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G_." for short. The organization's purpose is to protect and defend everything within the borders of the United Kingdom as well as the crown from any and all supernatural threats with the weaponry and knowledge that they have gained throughout over a century of work. In addition, they regulate the activity ordinary supernatural beings by providing them housing in a special zone within the city that was previously a condemned section of buildings set for demolition. After purchasing it, they gave it to the supernaturals to use so long as they follow H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s rules. That said, there has been rumour that those rules have been broken, and that is what brought the demonic duo to the estate on this day.

While Alois was banned from doing any fieldwork on this case, he could still participate in the planning and research phase, which was one reason why he was accompanying the Phantomhive on this trip. The other was that Ciel needed someone to drive him. Today could possibly be a bit awkward, seeing as though Sir Hellsing had interrupted them in flagrante delicto and seemingly had caught on to it. A sigh escaped the bluenette's lips as their Mercedes pulled up to the imposing estate.

Much to the Phantomhive's annoyance, it was far bigger than his own estate. It was massive, as it housed both the base and the Hellsing manor itself. The blonde accompanying Ciel simply rolled his eyes as he noticed the faint bruising of his beau's ego, stepping out of the car as he did so.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Alois, walking beside the bluenette toward the manor. "We talk about the Graffiti case, and make up an excuse for whatever yesterday?"

"Hopefully, she won't bring that up." The watchdog replied. "They've already located the location of the auction as well as their base of operations, thanks to the information we got from Baldassare. Now, we just need to figure out how we go about this."

"You mean how _you_ will go about this." Corrected the menace, knocking on the front door.

"Are you still upset about that? She only banned you because she didn't want you to relive your trauma."

"But Cieeeellll, I wanna play too!"

"It's not a game, Jim. I actually_ agree_ with her." The bluenette stated. "You've made an extraordinary amount of progress, but it's not worth it to throw yourself into something that you know could possibly trigger you."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Alois replied, knocking on the door again.

"Don't be. I know how you are. Just take it easy for now, alright?"

"Fine." The blonde said, about to knock again when the door opened. Before he could even register who opened it, he was nearly assaulted by a certain excitable werewolf.

"_Blondie!"_ called Amelie, hugging the menace with a toothy grin. Alois hugged her back, picking her up off the ground.

"Amelie!" he called back. "It's good to see you! How are you?"

"Good." The wolf-girl answered, letting go of the man. She looked up at him and pouted. "Too tall."

"What?!"

"Stop being tall!" barked Amelie, gently hitting the blonde's chest with her fist.

"Why? Charlotte is tall and you fancy her." Alois pointed out, simply letting her do whatever. With those words, however, she paused for a moment, a small blush appearing on her face. Suddenly, she picked her pace back up, hitting the menace a bit faster and harder.

"Charlotte is _Charlotte!_ You are _you!"_ she declared.

"Ow! That hurts!" her friend replied. "Easy on the chesticles. Did I hit a nerve or something?" Alois gawked as the werewolf turned around and leaned against the doorframe, sliding down it until she was sitting on her knees. Ciel shook his head.

"Good job. You broke our escort inside." The Phantomhive remarked, earning a mean face from his beau. He then turned to the wolf-girl. "_Amélie, ce qui ne va pas avec vous?"_

"Oh, you're speaking _frog_ again…" Alois mused, only to be growled at by Amelie. After that, she turned around to face the wall again.

"_C'est trop embarrassant ..."_ she said, much to the confusion of the menace. He looked to his beau for a translation.

"She says '_It's too embarrassing'_." Ciel quoted. Alois furrowed his brow and was about to protest when a certain vampire walked up.

"Amelie, have you shown them in yet?" Charlotte called from inside. Immediately, Amelie scooted away from the door before pouncing on the Phantomhive lad. She wrapped her legs around his torso and used them to bind his arms. With one hand on Ciel's shoulder, she placed her index finger up to his lips to indicate that he needed to be quiet.

"_Je veux faire ma femme Charlotte."_ She whispered.

"If you tell her, I'll kill you." She added before releasing the man.

There was a massive conflict in feeling about what just happened. Ciel was embarrassed and confused amoung other things. Alois looked at him expectantly, wanting to know what the girl had said, but given the fact that Charlotte was now standing in the doorway, Ciel chose to tell him later.

"What are you doing?" the vampire asked.

"Nothing." Answered Amelie with absolutely zero persuasive power. The other girl simply sighed, marking it off as more of the werewolf's strange behaviour. Amelie had been acting even stranger than usual, but the vampire simply wasn't able to get anything out of her. With a yawn, Charlotte took over.

"Well, come on in, Sir Integra's expecting you." She said, ushering the group inside. The demons followed her, soon tailed by Amelie as well, who simply glared daggers at the back of the bluenette's head.

"You're up early, Charlotte." Noted the blonde, earning a small nod from the taller girl.

"Seras usually stays up, but she's busy." The vampire said. "She's tracking August, right now, but she'll probably be going to bed soon."

"Yeah, I heard about that. What's her damage, anyway?" Alois inquired.

"I don't really know. August was always really shy while she was here. She was nice."

"That's… really fucked up, actually." The man stated, recalling what the demoness was like when he encountered her last. She tried to kill Ciel, Audrey, and himself after killing her contractee. She was murderous.

His thoughts were brought to a halt as the group stopped in front of a large door at the end of the hall. Charlotte raised an arm to knock on it, alerting the Hellsing woman of their presence. To their surprise, the door was opened for them by miss Seras Victoria.

"Hello." The older-looking vampire greeted. "I just got done talking to her, so go on in." Seras stepped to the side, allowing the two demons to pass while the two girls stayed in the hallway. She then joined her coworkers as they collectively made their way down to their respective rooms beneath the manner, chatting along the way. With that, the door shut again, leaving the demonic duo alone with the Hellsing woman in her office.

The room was far bigger than that of the Phantomhive's, but also emptier and smelled like cigar smoke. It was as though the room was designed with the sole intent of being intimidating. Regardless, the two gentlemen took a seat in the two chairs that sat in front of the woman's desk. Quickly, Integra finished what she was writing and looked up at the two.

"Hello." She greeted simply. "I'm sorry, but I'm not one for small talk, so why don't we get started?"

"It's a good thing neither of us are particularly sociable." The bluenette replied. "So what options are one the table?"

"First thing's first; we need to secure the people who have been abducted and put up for auction." Integra said. "We could simply raid the place, but the captives might be injured in the process."

"_Espionage?"_ suggested Alois. He was joking, but the two nobles seemed interested.

"That's a good start." Integra said. "We could get close to the operation, free the captives, and then we could have a team go in and remove the threat. The only problem is that we don't have a way in."

"I might know someone, actually…" the Phantomhive said. "That 'informant' of mine is a pretty high-profile vampire. He could probably get us in."

"Wait, wait, we're really considering this?!" asked the Macken in disbelief. The other two simply looked at him for a moment and collectively said:

"_Yes."_

Alois shuddered. "You two are _creepy _when you get along." He stated. "We're seriously not gonna let wittle babyface go in there by himself and trust him to get the job done, are we?"

"Of course not." The Hellsing woman replied. "We have Charlotte and Amelie. I would like Ciel to go as well, given the fact that those two aren't exactly capable of handling the situation either."

"There's another problem with that." Ciel interjected. "_I'm _pretty high-profile, as well. I'll be spotted in a second."

"Not if you _shape-shift."_

"I'm not a _vampire,_ either." To that argument, Integra simply smiled her usual haughty grin.

"No, but there is a way that we can trick them into_ thinking_ you areone." She said. Ciel frowned.

"I don't think I'm going to like where this is going, am I?" he asked.

"Most likely not, but it's all we have, for now." The woman replied. "Unless, of course, we come up with an alternative plan."

"Which would be?"

"We would have to find a way to locate the abducted people and rescue them before the auction."

"I could probably find a list of recent missing persons from the Yard." Ciel suggested. "From there, though…"

"Pfft-!" interrupted Alois as air escaped him. He was trying to hold in a laugh, much to the confusion of the others.

"What is it?" asked Integra.

"Nothing, _nothing_. It's stupid." The menace replied. "I just thought about how we could just use Amelie as a search-hound."

"That's not ridiculous, she does that all the time for us." Hellsing said.

"Are you serious?!"

"Yes. We use Amelie to track vampires all the time." The woman stated. "Her sense of smell is more powerful and much more reliable than our '_ordinary_' hounds, and much easier to get to cooperate and to communicate with."

"So we're seriously going with that?" Alois inquired.

"Might as well give it a try." Answered his beau. "If we can't locate them in time, we'll use the espionage idea as '_Plan B'_."

"Sounds good." Integra stated. "We can have other teams assist you with ordinary dogs, if you'd like."

"That would probably be a good idea, as well. We don't know if they're all in the same place, after all." Ciel replied. He then stood up and straightened his clothes. "I can get you the information on the recent missing persons in a day or so."

"Then that settles it, then." Spoke the Hellsing woman, leaning back in her chair. "That was a very quick decision."

"Having Jim around helps." The bluenette answered, reaching down and ruffling his boyfriend's hair. "Even if they come out as off-handed comments, he can make observations that I can't."

"It's my lack of filter, probably." Stated the menace, swatting at the Phantomhive's hand before making an attempt to fix his appearance. "I'm very boorish, in case you haven't noticed."

"Not at all. You're an excellent help, Macken." Integra replied. "Why, it would even appear that Ciel's productivity has gone up since you've joined us."

"Whelp, I guess I just make up for the stuff that Poochie's not good at." Alois said, standing up and patting the bluenette on the back. "Like social interaction, probably."

"Most likely." The woman answered with a smile.

"Speaking of which, I was hoping to invite you to the FUNTOM event, Integra. I was wondering if it was safe to assume that you were going to skip out, though." The Phantomhive said.

"Thanks, but I'll pass." Replied Integra. "I'm not partial to parties, myself, but I appreciate your consideration."

"That's what I thought." Ciel said with a smile. "I suppose we'll be leaving then."

"Very well. Good luck with FUNTOM." Sir Hellsing replied. She paused momentarily before adding: "By the way, I'm sorry for interrupting you two the other day." She tried not to smirk as the Phantomhive froze, a blush staining his cheeks. He turned around to face the woman, furrowing his brows while he pointed a finger at her.

"_We weren't doing anything!"_ He indignantly fibbed. His reaction only made the woman even more amused.

"Is that so? My mistake. It would appear that I have jumped to a rather obscene assumption based on the data you and agent Macken gave to the research team."

"You_… you read that?" _Ciel asked, his blush only darkening. He and his beau had been interviewed about their sexual activity to be added to the organization's data on demons and the various subcategories of them.

"Of course. It's my job to know _everything _about the supernatural." Integra jabbed at the man. "Truly, lust _is_ a sin…"

"Indeed." Said Alois in agreeance. "But still, you are obviously wrong in your assumption about what happened. I was merely pestering Ciel the way I always do. It's funny to see how long I can poke at his nerves before he gets annoyed."

"I see…" the woman said, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes." Stated the menace. "Besides, had we been engaging in sinful acts, we would not have been able to stop until the ritual has been completed!"

"Wait, _what?!"_ demanded Ciel, a look of embarrassment and confusion on his face.

"Quite. First, _we must do a diabolical dance and display our feathers to one another in order to prove that we are a suitable mate_." Alois somehow managed to say with a straight face. He held out his arms and put his wrists together, turning them so that his palms faced outwards toward the Hellsing woman. He spread his fingers apart, wiggling them slightly to show that they were what could only be assumed to be the "feathers" he was talking about. "Next, we must serenade each other with song. Whoever has the more impressive song gets to-"

_"Jim!_ _Stop making stuff up!"_ his beau interrupted scoldingly, reaching over and pinching the blonde's cheeks. "It's not funny!"

_"Pfft-!"_ came a noise from the other side of the room. Both demons looked over to see Integra seated behind her desk, placing the back of her fist to her mouth. To their astonishment, it looked as though she was struggling not to laugh. The woman continued this for a moment before taking her hand away and looking at the two gentlemen.

"Alright, I'm sorry for teasing you about it." She said, smiling in a friendly sort of manner at the two demons. Alois had never seen the Hellsing smile in such a way before and Ciel hadn't seen it in years. A small blush appeared on both gentlemen's faces at the sight.

"Uh… It's okay." They unintentionally said in unison. Sir Integra only leaned back in her chair.

"Do you need help finding your way out?" she asked.

"No, I think we can manage." Ciel stated. He cleared his throat before turning back to the menace. "Come on, let's go." He said, tugging his beau along by his cheek.

"Can you at least let go of my face?!" Alois asked as the door shut behind them.

He rubbed his cheeks as they made their way back down the hall toward the front door. The hallway was wide and vast, and the bluenette's eye would occasionally wander to some detail that had changed. Apparently, the mansion had been destroyed several times in the past, and Ciel was still catching small changes here and there. He somewhat used his boyfriend as a guide so he wouldn't get lost while doing this. He was looking at one thing and thinking about another. He was still pondering about how this operation was going to turn out. He hoped they wouldn't have to resort to "Plan B".

"Hey, Ciel?" called the Macken, alerting the bluenette's attention. Ciel pulled himself from his thoughts and turned his head to look at the man as they walked.

"Yes?"

"I didn't get to ask you, but what was Amelie's deal from earlier?" Alois asked curiously. Ciel thought for a moment before chuckling, his cheeks turning a little pink.

"She said that she wants to make Charlotte her wife." He answered.

"What? You mean, like, _for real?"_ the blonde asked.

"It would appear that way."

"Good for them. I hope she gets to ask and everything goes well." He said. Alois wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to say, given the situation. "Never been to a wedding before."

"I've been to a few. They're boring." The Phantomhive said. "The best part is the food."

"You're in it for the cake, huh?"

"How unfortunate. It would appear that you've discovered my secret."

"How would they get married, though?" inquired the menace. "Can they really be 'married before the eyes of God'?"

"I might be able to ask Sister Dorothy to arrange something." Ciel replied. "The supernaturals in the special zone don't care for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; but those two used to live there, and Dorothy doesn't really discriminate."

"I see." Alois said to indicate that he had heard the other man. Somehow, talking about it was somewhat embarrassing. The silence that followed was awkward, and with that combined with the new question that began to play at the mind of the Macken, Alois was growing somewhat restless.

Without even looking, he reached down with one hand and grabbed onto that of the Phantomhive, intertwining their fingers. A grin graced Ciel's face at the action and he turned to look at his beau. His eyebrows raised as he set his sights on the man's uncharacteristically aloof expression as the blonde stared straight ahead. It changed, however, when the Macken noticed Ciel staring. Alois turned his head to face his boyfriend as they walked, offering the bluenette a loving smile. Now that, made the Phantomhive's heart flutter.

"I love you, Ciel."

* * *

**A/N: Fucking nerds.  
**

**But Chamelie...**

**And smiling Integras...**

**And NERDS.**

**Yeah, I really don't have much to say about this chapter, even though it's like, 3,000 words long. **

**Where does the madness end, Hate? Go outside...**

**Eh, no questions for me, so I'll see you in the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Cielll! What do you think of Alois' nickname for you? Ciellykins, was it?"** by Vannaluv  
_

_Ciel's Answer:__ "I don't mind. I call him 'Jim', so why not?"_

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_Question: **"Ciel: Do you know about all the other supernaturals that work with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G? Including a certain Allucard? Alois: Do you have more fantasies you want to tease Ciel with?"** by Auraheart_

_Ciel's Answer: "Just the usual bunch, really. There aren't that many who work there. Alucard is a vile monstrosity and I want him nowhere near me."_

_Alois' Answer: "Not really. Usually, I just kind of daydream about what I want to do with him later, or what we just did. Maybe doing it in the back of the Mercedes could be pretty fun. For a while, my biggest 'fantasy' was to be able to top Ciel, but now I do that pretty regularly, actually." _

_00000000000000000000_

_Question: **"For Revy: What's your favourite foods?"** by RapunzelInTheSnow_

_Revy's Answer: "Anything with lots of meat."_

_00000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Question for Ciel, Alois, and Sebastian; can demons still get too cold and too hot? If they can, what happens to them? Do they just kinda stay cold, or warm, or do they get a demon cold/fever?"** by Fanfiction3_

_Sebastian's Answer: "Not really. I'm sort of indifferent to it, either way. If a demon's starts being especially hot to the touch, though, that's usually a bad sign."_

_Ciel's Answer: "Heat isn't a problem. It's when it gets cold that things start to get mildly annoying. (Sebastian's just Sebastian...)"_

_Alois' Answer: "Heat's not that bad. We can catch on fire and not really care, after all. I don't really like being cold, though."_


	26. Normalcy Leads to Impatience

Things were very slow in the Phantomhive household. While waiting on detective Bailey to e-mail the bluenette a list of the most recent missing persons, the demonic duo simply had nothing to do. Ciel had given the FUNTOM party organization to his staff at the company, so now he was stuck sitting at his desk while his boyfriend folded paper into triangles and flicked them at him. After the first few times, he was confused, but now he simply sat there, allowing it to happen. Eventually, he started collecting them in a pile on his desk while he read the news on his computer just to see how big it could get. When one triangle hit him in the head and landed on the floor, however, he finally said something.

"Looks like _someone_ is bored." He mused, turning in his chair to pick up the piece of folded paper. Ciel then flicked it back at the blonde, hitting his shoulder as the man sat on one of the uncomfortable couches in the room. Alois giggled.

"Well, I've done everything I'm supposed to, and now there's nothing left." The menace replied, flicking the paper object back. "Maybe it's time to find another hobby besides murder?"

"Probably." Ciel answered. The triangle landed back on his desk, so he put it in the pile with the others. "Have you tried _Netflix?"_

"No… I usually find like, five things that I want to watch, but can never figure out which one to pick, or what order to watch them in."

"Draw names out of a hat?"

"Do we even _have_ a hat?" inquired the blonde.

"I think there's a helmet or two in the memorabilia room." Suggested his beau.

"Too much effort for _Netflix_." Alois stated, falling over so that he was laying on his side. "Wanna play pool or something?"

"I don't think I can look at the pool table again after what we did…" Ciel said with a sigh, his cheeks lightly dusted with pink.

"You_ loved_ it."

"I know, and that's _why_ it pisses me off..."

To that, Alois sat up again and turned to face the other man. "Wanna talk about the case, then? Like, what are we gonna do after we get that list?"

"It's relatively simple, but it should take some time." The Phantomhive said. "Basically, we go to the friends and family of the victims and ask them where they were last seen. We can compare that to _Gentlemen's_ usual hunting grounds to see if they had been anywhere near there. Then, if we think we've got a possible victim of Gentlemen, we can ask for something we can use to get their scent, which we'll then ask Amelie to trace."

"Sounds like a total pain…"

"Once we get the possible victims, though, we can ration the work off to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. teams and their hounds." Ciel explained. "Until then, however, we have to wait on Michael."

"Why don't we just go up there and take the files." Questioned the menace.

"We have to at least try to give him a chance."

"He's incompetent, though."

"So was his father when he first started." Ciel replied. "He was annoying. He always tried to make me follow rules that didn't matter. To be honest, he was more suited for deskwork."

"Young-Bailey sounds like a total geek." Chuckled his beau.

"The geekiest." The Phantomhive stated. He reached over and plucked one of the triangles from the pile and started playing with it. "Michael's a bit worse, though. Gabriel wanted nothing more than to help people, which is why he turned out okay, but Micheal… I have no idea why he wanted to be a detective."

"Probably because of his dad, y'think?"

"Possibly." The Watchdog answered before looking up at the other man with a curious expression. "Why do you want to be a detective, Jim?"

"You mean besides the fact that I _have_ to?"

"Yes, besides that." Chortled the bluenette. "If it was just because you were forced to do it, you wouldn't have insisted on going to school for it."

Alois laid back down again, this time resting his chin on the arm of the couch so that he could face the Phantomhive. He paused for a moment as he thought, his eyes focusing on the floor. Soon, he actually looked up at the other man before answering.

"Well, part of me just wanted to be like you, I guess." He said, causing a small blush to appear on the one-eyed demon's cheeks. "Mostly, I just sort of love it. I've always wanted to go on adventures and stuff like that."

"I've never thought about it that way…" the bluenette replied. "I've always thought of it as sort of a way to kill time, mostly."

"Didn't you have, like, friends to talk to or something?" Alois inquired.

"Not really…" his beau said softly, catching the blonde's attention. "I had decided that getting close to anyone would be pointless since they would just end up growing old and dying. The whole reason I summoned you back was because I was sick of it and needed somebody, even if it was someone I would have to take down. As my rival, you were not only perfect, but the circumstances of your death made you perfect."

"Glad I could help." Said the Macken with a grin. "Sorry if I disappointed you by making you fall madly in love with me." His eyes snapped shut and he wrinkled his nose as a paper triangle gently hit his face.

"Not at all. I like this turn of events much better." Ciel smiled. "Things are a lot livelier. It's nice." With that, his boyfriend sat up again and flicked the triangle back at him before grabbing another piece of paper and jotting something down on it.

"I like it too." Alois stated as he finished writing. He then put down the pen down and started folding the paper into another triangle. "I'm still amazed, though, how you somehow managed to completely turn everything around for me, yet you _still _think I need something for my birthday."

"Maybe I just want to do something nice for you_ intentionally_." Answered the Phantomhive. He opened his mouth to say something else, but had to catch an origami triangle before it stuck him in the face. Because he saw the blonde writing in it, he unfolded it, only to roll his eyes.

"_'You're a nerd'?_ Really, Jim?" he asked, reading the hastily scrawled out words with a big heart around them.

"I meant it as a term of endearment!" the Macken giggled. "Were you expecting a mushy love note, or something~?"

"You would…"

"No I wouldn't. That's too embarrassing! Besides, I'd never be able to write down just how much I'm in super-duper, lovey-dovey love-love with you, especially on a piece of paper that small!" Alois' grin only widened as the bluenette shook his head.

"Why do you do this to me?" Ciel asked.

"Because I like seeing you all flustered and cute." The blonde replied. "Check your e-mail again, _sweetums_. Maybe Junior sent it to you by now."

"Yes, _dear."_ Answered the Phantomhive, smirking as he noticed the blonde's grin drop while the menace tried to hide his embarrassment.

Ciel never calls the menace by a pet-name, so it sort of threw the man off-balance. A blush formed on Alois' visage as his beau turned to his computer again to check his e-mail. To his surprise, there was indeed a message from detective Michael Bailey.

The e-mail had at_ least_ thirty names on it. There were also pictures of most of the missing persons along with their last known whereabouts. Predictably the majority of them were young women and children. A few young men were mixed in as well, but it would appear that they were not as high in demand. Ciel saved the file before forwarding it to Sir Integra. By now, the menace had made his way over to look over his shoulder.

"So where do we start?" inquired the blonde, leaning on the bluenette as he peeked at the screen.

"We have Integra compare this to the known coven territories to narrow it down to the possible victims of Gentlemen, have her ration off names to her operatives, who will try to locate them with their dogs, and if she wants us to participate as well, we will." Ciel answered.

"_Ugh!_ I thought we were actually going to do something!" Alois complained. He stepped back a bit before leaning down again to nuzzle the other man's shoulder. "Cieeel! I wanna do something, too!"

"I know, but we have to follow orders." The bluenette stated, reaching back to pat the blonde on the head. "You aren't allowed to help find them, anyway, remember?"

"Even _worse!"_ declared his beau. The menace looked up again with a pout, placing his hands on the Phantomhive's shoulders. "I'm not suited to be a housewife, Ciel."

"What kind of wife are you suited to be then?"

"None. I don't want to be a wife. I'd rather be a husband."

"Are you saying that you'd like to be my husband?" teasingly asked the bluenette, turning his head to smirk at the horrendously embarrassed expression on his boyfriend's face.

The blonde's eyes were wide, his brow was furrowed, and his mouth was agape as he scrambled to find his words. Eventually, his lips flattened into a straight line before he hid his face in the crook of the Phantomhive's neck. Poor Alois' words were muffled as he spoke.

"Maybe _someday_…" he said, gripping the bluenette's shirt tighter. In response, his lover only grinned, tilting his head so that he could kiss the top of the blonde's.

"You're so cute." He stated, only increasing the other man's bashfulness even further. "How can someone so cute be so deadly, I'll never know."

"You're one to talk…" Alois muttered with a small pout. "Stop teasing me… Anyways, what _am_ I supposed to do while you're out secret agent-ing?"

_"Netflix?"_ suggested the bluenette.

"Oh, _piss off!"_

* * *

**A/N: More of this stuff, eh?  
**

**We'll start like, getting to work and junk in the next chapter. Is gon b good.**

Quite a few of you were weirded out because Integra smiled at Ciel and Alois in the last chapter. She's not heartless, you guys. She just puts up a serious front, much like Ciel does. She can be a total goof.

**Integra does kind of have a big heart, which is why she's so determined to keep everybody safe from supernatural bullshit and part of the reason why she's so firm with Ciel and Alois. She's _always_ been reminding them: "Don't fuck up. I don't want to have to hurt you." even if they didn't see it that way, originally. They only saw the "Don't fuck up" part.**

**The change is not with her. The change is with them accepting her which causes her to reveal her true colours more.**

**Anyways, Questions?**

_**"For for HateWeasel: is it hard to write a new chapter every single day? I can hardly get down two pages in an hour. How do you do it?" by Cielois  
**_

**I dunno, bro. I just kinda do?**

**What I try to do is imagine the scene, or part of the scene, at least in the middle, and then I go back and figure out how I got there. Once we've come back to the starting point, then I just walk back through it while I type, and the end just comes naturally after that. **

**It's also easier when you try to limit yourself to one scene at a time. Focus on _that_ scene, and don't move to another point in time in the same chapter. That way, you're also more capable of focusing on smaller details. Like, I want you to get the image of them flicking paper at each other while they're talking. It's not especially _important_ to the scene, but it adds a little something to it, y'know? **

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Hey Maxwell, how are you doing?"** by Artemis Phantomhive  
_

_Maxwell's Answer:__ "Not too good. I have to __retake the final exam with a new partner, and I'm having trouble getting one. I may end up having to do things solo..."_


	27. One Fine Day

London, United Kingdom. It was still somewhat early in the day, but the police needed to get started on their search. They had gone to each of the houses of the victims, in order to obtain a something with their scent on it to give their dogs. People were eager to cooperate with law enforcement in hopes of their family or friends returning home. What they didn't know, however, was that these police officers were in fact not. They were H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents in police uniform in order to blend in and gain immediate compliance without the use of fear. The only indicator of their status were red armbands on their left side with the Hellsing family crest on them.

These faux-police officers split the samples amongst thirty teams of two, plus one hound before taking off to search around the last known locations of the victims in hopes of catching onto their scent. All of the teams were divided this way, except one. This particular team happened to be made up of members of the supernatural unit, so one of them was a grim reaper and the other was taking the form of a dog.

Amelie assumed the shape of what appeared to be a white, wolf-like "dog" while Audrey dawned the police disguise. The wolf-girl would rather have been teamed up with her usual partner in crime, but alas, it was daytime, making that an impossibility for her vampiric girlfriend.

She was still excited, nonetheless. It had been ages since she had been taken for a walk in this form, after all. Once they arrived at their destination, Audrey crouched down and took the tupperwear container out of his bag to hold out to the lycanthrope.

"Alright. Time to work." He sighed. "Let's search for a few hours, then we'll take a break for lunch, okay?"

Since Amelie's vocal chords aren't quite "right" for speaking in this shape, she nodded as reply before sniffing the T-shirt that the reaper held out to her. She then stood up and began walking, her claws clicking against the concrete of the sidewalk as she tugged at her leash. The wolf-girl's head was down as she sniffed along the trail, her temporary partner following along as she led him down the street. She led the reaper down alleyways and across traffic in a way that seemed as though she were simply trying to annoy him. Amelie made the man hop fences and stop for girls who wanted to pet "the cute policeman's cute doggie".

"_Amelie, you useless lesbian…"_ Audrey internally grumbled, trying to maintain a friendly image as the girls pet the werewolf's head.

"So, what's his name?" asked one of the girls, looking up at Audrey as she rubbed Amelie's ears.

"Her name's Amelie." The reaper stated.

"Oh, she's a girl!" one of the other women said. "That's so pretty. Is she your dog, or does she belong to the police?"

"Uh, she's a police-dog. Her usual handler couldn't take her out today, so I was asked to. She usually stays with her." Audrey was starting to wonder how much longer this was going to take. He wasn't very good at talking to women, and was starting to get a bit nervous. After a while, however, Amelie stood up from her seated position and stepped on the man's foot to capture his attention. She then started tugging at her leash again.

"What is it?" he asked, forgetting that she couldn't answer him and that the others had no idea of her status as a supernatural.

"Looks like something's sparked her interest." One of the girls said. Amelie glared up at her for a moment before tugging again, forcing her partner to step forward before taking off completely.

"I guess it's time for me to go!" Audrey said, now having to run to keep up with the wolf-girl as the other two women laughed at him. He was forced to run a few blocks, but nearly fell over when Amelie made a sharp turn into an alleyway. The reaper grunted as he was forced against the wall, his eyes snapping shut briefly. Moments later, they shot open again as he felt a gloved hand pressed against his mouth.

"Sssh…" shushed Amelie, pressing one of her fingers against her lips.

She had resumed her human shape and was fully decked out in her H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. uniform. It was useless for her to wear a police disguise, as she_ looked_ too young to pass herself off as an officer of the law. She was short for her age as a human, after all. The coat of her uniform didn't even fit her correctly and was baggy on her frame, which is why she hardly wore it and simply tied it around her waist.

Now, however, in this cold autumn air, she had to wear it, appearing suddenly to the faux-policeman as a very petite soldier. She couldn't transform in front of humans, which was why she dragged the reaper here to speak. Once the man figured this out, he let go of the leash that was still around her neck and nodded, causing her to take her hand away.

"What is it?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"They were vampires." Amelie bluntly whispered, prompting a look of confusion to form on her partner's face.

"It's the middle of the day, though?" he questioned. "I know it's cloudy, but isn't that enough sun to hurt them?"

_"Shade gel."_ The wolf-girl explained. "They reek of it. It protects against the sun for a few hours. You can get it from the Wolf's Glen witches, but H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. doesn't know how to make it."

"Oh. I see…" said Audrey. He should probably ask Dafydd about possibly making some, but now wasn't the time to linger on it. "So why did we need to get away from them?"

"They also smelled like the T-shirt." To that, the reaper's eyes widened.

"Shouldn't we follow them, then?!" he asked, but Amelie shook her head.

"Non. Too much work. I just followed their scent back." She said. "The T-shirt smell is stronger now."

"So we're getting closer?"

_"Oui._ Just a little more."

With that, the girl bent down and turned back into a "dog". She looked up at the reaper, waiting for him to resume the disguise so that they could dig deeper. The man, however, had to think about it for a little longer; or rather, on his partner's strangeness, to be precise. Amelie is very direct in a way that was just odd.

Eventually, he shook the thought away, bending forward to pick up the leash before being led out of the alleyway by the "policedog". They then proceeded to walk casually as Amelie continued to follow the scent. Their pace slowed as things started to look a bit run-down. There were buildings in disrepair, covered in graffiti. The word "_Gentlemen"_ appeared several times in white paint, indicating that they were in their territory. Getting into a fight now, would be bad. They could feel eyes watching them as they progressed and the urge to turn back only grew in the reaper.

Soon, his partner stopped completely in front of a small house covered in plants. Upon further inspection, there was a large stone out front with a white "_G_" spraypainted on it. Audrey looked down at the wolf-girl.

"Here?" he asked, earning a small nod. With that, he took out his cell-phone and typed in the address with a request for backup.

It only took a few moments to receive an affirmative reply. They would have to wait before they had even the slightest hope of searching the place. It was an unfortunate necessity, as they were currently in a not-so-safe place to wait in. Audrey was starting to wonder if every person who passed by was a vampire, as he had no way of telling. With each passerby, the man would look down at his associate, only to see the wolf-girl staring blankly ahead with a bored expression on her face.

Somehow, it only made the reaper more anxious. Audrey simply had no idea how to read the girl, and wondered how on earth Charlotte managed so easily. She's so odd, but Charlotte just accepts it. Come to think of it, there was _another _couple he knew who was similarly peculiar, so in the end, Audrey just assumed that the vampire's skill in dealing with Amelie was just part of being in love with her.

"Oh!" called a voice, prompting the attention of the two agents. Audrey turned his head to see the woman from before. "Hello again, officer." She greeted with a smile.

"Hello." Audrey said, attempting to sound friendly. He didn't quite know how to react, as the woman was probably in league with Gentlemen, given the fact that the victim's scent was on her. She was probably going to walk into the house that he was currently standing in front of, so he would have to come up with an excuse. Meanwhile, his associate simply stared at the woman, watching her every move.

"Is there a reason why you're standing in front of my house?" Bingo. Audrey's guess was correct. Now, however, came the difficult part.

"Not especially. I'm just resting." The faux-policeman answered. "Amelie dragged me all over the place, so I'm just trying to catch my breath."

"Oh, are sure you didn't just want to see me again?" the daytime vampire teased, causing a small blush to appear on the man's cheeks.

"No, no! I'm not a stalker, or anything. It's just a coincidence." Audrey insisted. He felt awkward and that feeling only worsened when he looked down to see Amelie looking at him with an expression that could only be read as "judgmental". He shot a mean look back at her before the woman in front of them spoke again.

"Well, if you want, you can come inside for a cup of tea." The vampire suggested, startling the reaper. She looked down at Amelie. "I can probably find a treat for her as well."

Before Audrey could protest, Amelie stood up and wagged her tail. She then proceeded to follow the woman to the front door, much to Audrey's terror. He had no idea if Amelie knew what she was doing, or was seriously interested in the idea of a snack. It didn't matter as Audrey somehow found himself dragged into the woman's front room with the door shut behind him. It was at that moment that he completely froze.

"Come into the kitchen, and brew the tea." The vampire said as she walked by, pausing to pat his "dog" on the head. "I'll get you something to eat, too, girl."

With that, she disappeared into the house, and his partner was following after her. Audrey was nearly shaking. He had no idea what was in this house and he wasn't sufficiently armed to deal with much. All he had a handgun and a knife hidden in his uniform, which wasn't enough to deal with a house full of vampires.

Still, Amelie was calm, even as she reached the door to the kitchen. The wolf-girl paused, turning her head to grab the leash in her mouth and tug it out of the man's hands. She dropped it to the ground before nodding toward the door. Her partner gave a small nod and reached into his coat to grasp at the handle of his gun. After taking a deep breath, he opened the door. Lo and behold, the woman was behind it, ready to strike.

The vampire leaped at him, baring her fangs. The police officer looked like an easy kill, but she didn't count on Amelie pouncing. The wolf's teeth stabbed into the vampire's neck as Amelie's claws tore into her skin. The werewolf let go and jumped back, leaving her foe completely stunned and bleeding profusely.

Amelie landed on her feet in human form, spitting her opponent's blood to the side as more of it stained her lips and cheeks. She grabbed her knife from its sheath strapped to her leg before charging at the vampire again. Even though the woman brought her arms up to shield herself, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operative's weapon still bore itself into her chest. Amelie stabbed her in the heart, forcing her to the floor. She pressed it in harder for a few seconds to make sure that she met her target. When the woman turned into a pile of ash and clothing, the wolf-girl stood up again and placed her weapon back where it belonged before looking at Audrey. For the first time all day, her face seemed animated as a look of surprise came over her. Her partner looked genuinely horrified.

"U-uh…" Audrey began, pointing at his mouth. He made a little "wiping" gesture. "_You got a little_…" Amelie brought a hand up to her face, brushing her fingers against the side of her mouth.

"Oh…" she said before wiping her face with the back of her glove. "_Sorry."_

"No, it's alright." Her accomplice stated. "I should really be used to it, by now. It's still new to see your coworkers tearing people's throats out."

"Oh…" Amelie replied, looking down at the floor.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" the reaper said, putting his hands up in front of him. "It's just that we're not on a lot of missions together, so seeing you with blood on your face is a bit… _new._"

"I'm a werewolf. It's what we do…" the girl replied. "Do you always hesitate on missions?"

"No, it's just that I didn't know what all we were up against and wasn't sure if we were ready…"

"So you can't sense stuff?"

"No, I'm pretty ordinary. Blame my human genetics." Bones jested. "Why didn't you just shoot her?"

"Guns make too much noise." Amelie answered. "There weren't any more like her in the house, but a gunshot would alert her neighbours that something is wrong."

"But what about…?" the reaper began. "What about the victims?"

"They're here." His coworker said. Silently, she began walking around, occasionally sniffing the air. Soon, Audrey began to smell blood as they found a door.

"In here." Amelie said, trying the doorknob. Of course it was locked. Instead of wasting much time on it, she simply kicked the door in, causing it to fly off its hinges and fall down a flight of stairs. A few sounds of surprise were heard from somewhere in the darkness.

Audrey reached down to his belt and grabbed his flashlight before shining it down the steps. He led the way as Amelie followed him. The stairs complained as the two made their descent, making their way to the basement of the house. Once their feet made contact with the floor, the reaper shined his light around the room, pausing when it fell on a table covered in medical supplies. There were also soda bottles filled with what he assumed was blood.

"Audrey!" the wolf-girl called, prompting his attention. He turned around to see the girl crouched in front of a few of the captives who were chained to the wall. There were only five out of the estimated thirty, but it was progress. All of them were women except for one teenaged boy. They huddled together and shook in fear as they stared at Amelie, specifically her blood-smeared face.

"No! Wait! Don't be scared!" Audrey said. "We're the good guys! We're here to get you out…"

The group said nothing and only shook their heads. Amelie made a face of acknowledgement as she put it all together. She wiped her mouth again before pointing at her face.

"Non, this is from the crazy lady upstairs." She said. "I killed her."

"We're from a special group who deals with people like her." Audrey explained. "We're the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. We hunt down and kill monsters. We're not going to hurt you…"

"You should probably tell our backup that we found them." Suggested Amelie. "I don't know how to deal with this." After looking to the victims for another moment or so, Audrey straightened his back and took out his phone.

"Right…" he said, dialing it and placing it up to his ear. "This is agent Baines. _We found a few."_

* * *

**A/N: Good job, soldier.  
**

**I wanted to do a chapter like this for a while. Just the H.E.L.L.S.I.G. homies...**

**So this is what Bones has been up to. _Working_.  
**

**Like a responsible adult.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: "**Question for Ciel: Has anyone ever asked you if you know how to read Braille ( the writing for blind people) ? If not, do you know how to read it?**" by trancyhive18_

_Ciel's Answer: "I'm missing an eye, not blind. No one has ever asked me that. I'm not Cecil Hauntington..."_

_0000000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"To Integra, Detective Bailey, and whoever else wants to answer- What would your reaction be to seeing Ciel and Alois being all cute and lovey dovey to each other when they thought no one was watching?"** by BlazeingEcho_

_Sir Integra's Answer: "I'd be glad that my plan to make them more tolerable is working. I'm also just happy that they're happy. As long as they aren't being obscene or should be working instead, I don't mind."_

_Detective (Micheal) Bailey's Answer: "How the hell can they...? But they're so...? How can people like that be all mushy toward each other?"_

_Detective (Gabriel) Bailey's Answer: "Way to go, Kiddo! Don't let him get away, haha! (Just put a ring on it already.)"_

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_Question: **"But question for Sebastian- seeing how happy ciel is with alois, does it make you think you could find any one out there who could make you feel the same way? Wouldn't you like to have someone to share your "family" with? I know you don't need any one, but wouldn't it be nice to have a special women or man in your life?"** by lynnstormfiction_

_Sebastian's Answer: "Not especially. While I'm very glad for my master and for mister Trancy, I still don't quite understand romantic love, myself. I don't know if I have a need someone like that. I'm happy having this 'family' all to myself, for now. I guess one could say that I've come to 'love' them. That, I can somewhat understand."_

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_Question: **"Question for Ciel, Alois, and Sebastian; we all know that demons can heal quickly, but does the pain go away with the wound? If so, how long does it normally last? Can you also please explain how a blessed blade works? I never really could grasp the concept. Thank you!"** by Fanfiction3_

_Ciel's Answer: "I'm not entirely sure how they work, but blessed blades **hurt**. The wound burns even after the blade's been withdrawn. While normal weapons hurt quite a bit, antifreak weapons hurt a lot more. The pain even stops when regeneration is complete. Enchanted weapons sort of ache for a while afterwards."_

_Miranda's Answer (Because She Knows): "All antifreak weapons have been blessed, which, just as that implies, has a somewhat "holy" significance. Really, though, what gets demons, and subsequently most other supernaturals is a series of symbols and sigils that when blessed, can block the flow of supernatural energy in a being completely, rendering their ability to heal useless. These symbols are either located on the handle, or the blade of a weapon, or etched into the surface of a bullet. They can't be painted, because they'll just burn off upon being fired, and etching on them doesn't mess with the aim or anything because bullets spin to equal themselves out so they can fire straight.  
_

_ Anyway, that's why you aim in the head or the heart, because without that energy, they work in the exact same way as a humans and they will be killed by that kind of injury. That said, when hit with an ordinary blade or bullet, the energy is still flowing, and there will be no effect (unless it's a weaker demon, which in that case, they'll be stunned for a bit). Demons don't need their organs to live. All they need is a demonic soul, which grants them their power, as made evident by specimen #D03 (Alois) in Sir Phantomhive's resurrection experiment. The body that was crafted was without a doubt, 100% biologically human, but once the soul was added, it became demonic. This proves the hypothesis true, that energy is what makes the demon. Sever that bond, and they're mortal, as further proven in the incident of specimen #R01 (Revy) when he tried to take Alois' soul. It weakened him to the point where it even made him require sleep like a human._

_Isn't that incredible?"_


	28. Master of Disguise

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. trucks came and took the captives away for treatment. All of them were still human, but suffered from some post-traumatic stress from both being confined, and from having their blood drawn against their will. Minor injuries were sustained and were treated with greater ease, as psychological wounds would take time to heal. Unfortunately, though, a scar would always remain.

There were two other houses like this one that were found during H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s search. A total of sixteen captives out of an estimated thirty were found alive. Two of them were dead. This still meant, however, that there were more victims still out there and that _Gentlemen_ was still at large.

Now, however, they were aware that her majesty's noble beasts were cracking down on them, so their efforts would have to become more subtle. Baldassare had been instructed to locate and decode any new "advertisements" if they popped up. He and his _Girasol_ vampires looked around, briefly, only coming across a few ads written in white spraypaint. All of them said the exact same thing as the ones written in blood.

The search for the missing persons continued, but there wasn't much progress. Too much time had passed, and the trail had gone cold. The dogs could no longer pick up a scent, including Amelie, whose sense of smell was keener. Unfortunately, this left the group with no other choice than to resort to plan "B"; _Espionage._

Naturally, Alois was not entirely pleased. This means that he would have to sit back and watch while Ciel got to have fun. It had been ages since the Phantomhive had done an infiltration mission, so he was somewhat looking forward to this. Alois was happy for him, of course, but he didn't like being told to "stay back" in case they needed him as backup. As far as he was convinced, he was perfectly capable of being on this mission. The Round Table, however, was not and their decision was final. All of that aside, it was still very amusing to see Ciel's reactions to the "preparations" that Sir Hellsing had in store for him.

_ "This is __**disgusting!"**_ he shouted at the top of his lungs as he sat in a plastic tub that was halfway full with blood. Fortunately, he was permitted to wear swim-trunks as he was soaked, or his discomfort would have been heightened to a new extreme.

The smell was horrible, but that was the whole point. He wasn't a vampire, yet he needed to be one in order to get into Gentlemen's auction house. Vampires can't differentiate species like demons can. Their senses were sharp, but they couldn't sense a soul. Thus, the plan was simply to trick their sense of smell into thinking that he was one of them. Unfortunately, the method in which they had to go about it was less than pleasant.

"It has to be done." Spoke his fair-haired assistant as he dunked a bucket into the tub and poured its contents over his beau's head. The bluenette coughed, gasped, retched, and wheezed at the action before wiping his eyes and seeing the blonde menace wearing a big grin on his face.

"What the hell are you laughing at?!" demanded the Phantomhive.

"_A bloody idiot."_ Alois jested. Yes, this would do nicely, if he couldn't actively join in the mission from the start. The man's grin did not waver as his beau's frown deepened.

"Shut up…" the bluenette grimaced. "How long do I have to be like this?"

"Long enough for the smell to be able to stick even after you rinse off." Alois paused for a second. "What's it feel like, being in a tub-o-blood?"

"It's certainly thicker than water…" Ciel answered. He couldn't help but shudder. "It feels like they warmed up the packets before opening them…"

"Well, yeah, it's smellier that way."

"I hate this job…"

"You love it, and you know it. There's unpleasant bits in every occupation, I assume." Alois stated. His mouth formed a straight line and he wrinkled his nose as the other man wiped a hand on his face. "Ugh! _Sick!"_

"That's what you _get."_ Declared the Phantomhive. "I'm going to reek for _days_ after this…"

"And I'll still love you anyway, '_stinky'_." The blonde stated, dumping another bucketful over his boyfriend's head. "On the bright side, I hear _bathing in blood helps you look younger_."

"I don't need help with that."

"Well then, I'm out of positive spins. You'll just have to stay grumpy, I guess."

"'_Grumpy'_ is an _understatement _of what I'm feeling right now." Ciel replied. "_You're _not sitting half-naked in a pool of other people's blood. It's disgusting…"

"Satan doesn't like bloodbaths. Who knew?" the blonde mused before putting the bucket to the side and standing up. "Alright, you can probably go rinse off, now."

"Finally…" growled the older demon, standing in the tub and allowing blood to drip off of him for a moment. He unconsciously flicked his wrists in order to get some off of his hands and arms. Before he could step out, though, he looked up with his two mismatched eyes to see the blonde gawking at him. "What?"

"_I'm not sure how I feel about this image_…" Alois answered, causing Ciel to roll his eyes.

"Whatever…" replied the bluenette, exiting the tub before stepping onto the tile. "I'm going to get this stuff off of me…"

Alois simply watched as the Phantomhive made his way toward one of the stalls, leaving bloody footprints on the floor. They were in the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers' shower room, as per instruction of Sir Integra. Naturally, there was a sign out front to prevent staff from entering while they were there. That would have been a problematic occurrence. Two demons in the showers, one of them covered in blood with a tub full of the liquid in the center of the room? That was very suspect.

He took off his trunks and tossed them out of the stall with a gross, wet plop. He turned on the water and immediately felt a bit better. He was still covered in red, but at least it was starting to come off. Every time he looked down at the drain, the man immediately thought of the movie _Psycho_, and he grumbled as he nearly scrubbed himself raw. Meanwhile, his lover was waiting patiently with a towel for him after having washed his own face and hands.

The menace resisted the urge to poke at the bluenette's trunks on the floor with his foot as he waited for what felt like ages, occasionally laughing at something the Phantomhive said while ranting. It seemed that no matter how well the bluenette cleaned himself, he could still feel his skin crawling. Eventually, he had decided that he had been in there long enough and shut off the water, shivering at the sudden burst of cold air.

"You done, Stinky?" inquired the blonde, peeking into the stall. He held out the towel in his hand, prompting the bluenette to dry wrap it around his waist.

"Please don't call me that…" Ciel sighed, pinching a lock of his own hair between his fingers and smelling it. Sure enough, he smelled like iron. He nearly gagged at how strong it was.

"'_Grumpy'_, then." Alois stated, unconsciously taking in the bluenette's form for a moment. It was brief, as there was work to do, but he couldn't resist. The blonde shook his head before ushering the other man out into the locker-room. "Get changed and I'll meet you outside, okay?"

"Fine." Ciel groaned. He pursed his lips as the blonde pecked them, regardless of his disgruntled attitude at the moment before the other man left him to get dressed.

A sigh escaped the bluenette as he opened the locker that he had temporarily left his things in and examined his outfit for the evening. It was a little flashier than he would have liked, but according to Baldassare, Gentlemen liked that sort of thing. So, he put on the white suit, blue dress shirt and black tie and belt with a gold buckle. He then put on the black dress shoes that came with them before grabbing the eyepatch. It was necessary to the disguise, even though he was known for wearing one. He couldn't have his contract showing, after all. Similarly, the bluenette couldn't have them seeing his fingernails, so he had to wear the black pair of gloves that he was provided with in order to hide them.

The eye-cover was white, matching the suit, with a white strap and a small, gold buckle to fasten it to his head with. Upon looking in the mirror of the door of the locker, Ciel came to the conclusion that he looked ridiculous. Kristopherson Miles could put together an outfit, but this one certainly didn't suit the Phantomhive. Still, it was the point to not look like himself, after all. With no other options, he had to close the locker door and leave.

Upon exiting the locker room, he made his way to the lobby of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, where his "escorts" were currently waiting with Alois. Charlotte was there, wearing a nice black dress and some concealer to cover the many freckles on her face and shoulders, to her discomfort. Of course, the skirt was easy to remove and she had shorts on underneath as well as a gun strapped to her thigh in case things got ugly. With her, however, was Ciel's other accompaniment. One who he wasn't entirely thrilled to see.

"_Pfft, nice duds, Pooch!"_ Baldassare snickered, earning a glare from the blonde demon in the room. No one used that nickname accept Alois, after all.

The coven leader was in his "adult" shape, taking the form of a young man in his early twenties. He wore a grey suit with a matching tie that had a spiderweb pattern on it, and a black dress shirt. It wasn't that much different than his usual attire, but since he was "Baby-Face" Baldassare, no one would protest.

"Hello, Baldassare." The Phantomhive sighed, not even bothering to even try to hide his lack of excitement.

"You're certainly cheerful, as usual." The vampire jabbed. "Come on. Take the form we all agreed on."

"_Now?"_ Ciel asked, his eye flickering over to the blonde menace.

"Go on. Do it. We need to check your disguise, and we don't have all night!" Baldassare stated.

With a heavy sigh, Ciel complied, encasing himself in the usual black flames as he shifted his form. He became taller, but kept sort of thin. His face became almost fox-like in appearance with beady eyes and a slightly pointed chin. His expression stayed the same, but with this new face, he somehow looked meaner. The man was sure to change his hair from that distinguishable bluenette hue to a more reddish one, making it somewhat maroon. With his new shape, his clothes adjusted accordingly, fitting him perfectly. With that, his disguise was complete.

"Damn, you look like a nasty fucker." Baldassare stated, placing his hands on his hips. The coven leader proceeded to walk over to the Phantomhive and circle him, making sure that he couldn't be identified. Soon, he got close up to the man, causing Ciel to step back and sniffed, much to the former-bluenette's disgust. Then, Baldassare took a few steps back before folding his arms and nodding.

"_Passable."_ He stated simply, trying a bit too hard in order to not seem impressed. To this news, Charlotte simply smiled while the Phantomhive cleared his throat and stood up straight again.

"Good. Now, we can get started." Ciel replied, his voice sounding somewhat steely. To his surprise, however, his beau walked up to him, holding a piece of paper and a large, black coat.

"Your cover information." The blonde said, handing the paper to the other man. "Your name is Cornelius Wainwright. Don't ask me, I didn't come up with it. Anyways, you're also the newest general in Baldassare's coven."

"Thanks." The Phantomhive answered, leaning down and kissing the blonde's forehead. He pulled back quickly when he felt the slightly shorter man shudder.

"Sorry." He said, making the softest smile he could with his current face. "_I forgot."_

To that, the menace shook his head, causing blonde locks to bounce slightly. Alois then stood on his toes before squeezing his eyes shut tightly and kissing the Phantomhive on the cheek. While Ciel was surprised, his beau then placed his feet back on the floor and shoved the coat into the other man's chest.

"I-It's fine. Here's your coat." He said, forcing Ciel to take the garment while looking away in embarrassment. He wanted to kiss the man before he had to leave, but the watchdog's current appearance made things awkward for him. Thus, he turned and began to scurry away, pausing as he was halfway out of the lobby.

"I'll be with Amelie and the backup troops if you need me!" he called before making his exit. Ciel draped his coat over his forearm and smiled after him, apparently provoking a small snort from Baldassare.

"_Faggots_…" muttered the coven leader.

"Excuse me?"

"You're super-gay." Baldassare replied, rephrasing his statement. "How the fuck can a guy like you go to being all soft and mushy with another bloke? Especially a guy like _that?_"

"Don't be ridiculous." Ciel answered. "I'd love Jim if he were a woman, too. This may come as a surprise to you, but I'm not a heartless monster."

"_Obviously,_ with that crock of '_romantic'_ shit." scoffed the other man. He turned to Charlotte and continued to jest. "Ya hear that, '_bonnibel'?_ Big, scary watchdog is totally _not_ a woofter 'cause he'd love blondie even if he had a vagina! What a load of…"

"_Shut up."_ Interrupted Charlotte in a rare act of defiance. She furrowed her brow and clutched at her handbag as she glared at the other vampire.

"Huh?" Baldassare asked, making a face. He walked up close to the girl, invading her personal space in an act of intimidation. "Wha'd you fuckin' say to me?"

He stared straight into the girl's eyes, noticing a small glimpse of hesitation at the action. Charlotte was tempted to back down, but knew she'd regret it if she did. Thus, her expression hardened again.

"I told you to shut up." She answered. "You're making an ass of yourself."

"What?!" demanded the coven leader. "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, bitch?"

"You're '_Baby-Face'_ Baldassare, the head of the Girasol coven of vampires." Charlotte said. "That said, you're at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters right now, so you have no authority here. If you try to do anything about it, you'll be shot on sight."

She quickly glanced over at the Phantomhive, seeing him smile at her and offer a nod of approval. Even though Baldassare was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, she was right. There was nothing he could do to her. Somehow, with all of this, she gained the confidence to keep going.

"And another thing: Keep you're shitty opinions about other people's preferences and relationships to yourself. No one wants to hear them." She added, flashing the older vampire a smile. "If you were hoping I would have agreed with you, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. While Sir Phantomhive isn't gay, _I am_."

Then, she simply turned on her heel and headed toward the car, leaving her temporary associate gaping. A smirk formed across the Phantomhive's new features as he followed her, eventually catching up and keeping at her pace. He put on his coat as they walked.

"That was _perfection_." Ciel said to the girl. "The look on his face… _I wish I had a camera_." He added, earning a small laugh.

"If you say so." Answered Charlotte with a smile. "Even though I knew he couldn't really hurt me, I was really scared."

"Most people are." The man replied.

"Even you?"

"No, I'm a complete sociopath." Stated the Phantomhive. Charlotte uttered a small giggle at his jest. "It comes with practice." He clarified.

"I guess you're right." The girl answered. "But you're really not, though- _a sociopath._"

"Really? What makes you say that?" inquired Ciel, opening the car door for the vampire and prompting her to climb inside. He was genuinely surprised, though, by the girl's answer. She looked at him through the open door and replied with:

"_You're too kindhearted."_

* * *

**A/N: 2,739 words. Howzzat?  
**

**And so it beginnnnsss~!**

**Baldassare's a dick. He will/might get better, but he's a fuckin' prick.**

**Total asswagon...**

**Questions?**

**_ "Random thought, but like a lot of humans do drugs, do demons ever do rosemary for recreational purposes?"_ by MacaqueAttack713**

**Nope. The euphoria demons _can_ get from rosemary doesn't even come _close_ to that of eating a soul, so they'd rather invest their time and energy in souls instead, I'd imagine. **

_**"Senpai, can werewolves have children together? And are they immortal?" by CiaranMichaelis**_

**Depends. Two werewolves can't have children together, simply because a female werewolf can't carry a pregnancy to term. Their reproductive organs are fully functional, but a fetus can't survive the shape-shifting. While werewolves can change their shape at will, they still change involuntarily on the full moon, making it impossible.**

**A male werewolf can have a child with a member of another, similar (i.e. humanoid) species, though, because they don't have that problem.**

**As for immortality, no, they are not immortal. The reason is because as Alucard put it in Hellsing, "_There's no such thing as a true immortal"_. They don't age, and in theory can live forever, but they can die. If it can die, it's not "_immortal"_. **

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: "__**Dan, what do you love about Kris ?and how does it feel kissing Kris? Kris, have you and Dan done any thing yet ? And How does it feel kissing Dan? and By the way you two are super adorable together"** by deathbite_

_Daniel's Answer: "Uh, I dunno... He's just... really good-looking, and smart, and funny, and, uh... I just like him. Kissing him was really nice. His lips are really soft, and taste like fruity candy and it stays on my lips even afterwards and I think he uses chapstick, but I'm not sure what flavour and I can't try to guess it myself 'cause we haven't kissed since then and asking him about it would be kinda weird, wouldn't it?"_

_Kristopherson's Answer: "We haven't done anything. I'm not even going to hold his hand until he settles things with Anna; so we're also not 'together' or anything. As for how kissing him was... Uhm... It... it was pretty nice, I guess..."_

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_Question: **"Question for Alois- If you and Ciel got married, would you wear a dress? And I'm curious, do you think Kris would make a good bridesmaid?"** by BlazeingEcho_

_Alois' Answer:__ "I don't really know what a 'bridesmaid' is, but from the sounds of it, there wouldn't be one, since there would be two grooms? I don't know how this stuff, works, really. I've never been to a wedding before, let alone a gay one.  
_

_Anyway, I definitely wouldn't wear a dress, though. First of all; I don't really think I could pull it off anymore, but more importantly than that; It's kind of a big deal, so I... uh... I think I'd want to take it more seriously..."_


	29. On Backup

_"Bravo, this is Echo; is the watchdog in position?"_ called a voice over the radio.

"Affirmative. The watchdog has given us the signal. The mission has started." Answered the soldier seated across from Alois.

The blonde menace found himself in one of three armoured cars stationed several blocks away from the theater. Two were full of troops and one was nearly empty, and to be used to transport the victims. Once given the signal, they were to storm in and take the captives to safety while eliminating all threats. Alois uttered a sigh and put his cellphone back in his pocket.

"You know, if he had your numbers, he could've just texted you guys at the same time." The Macken pointed out, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back in his seat. He had plenty of room, since the human soldiers made a point to sit as far away from both him and Amelie as possible despite the somewhat cramped conditions.

These were grown men and women, grizzled from conflict with hellish creatures, afraid of what appeared to be a teenaged girl and a young, almost effeminate-looking man. It was logical, though. Those monstrous beasts were of a similar breed to these two, and could look just as harmless. Many of them have most likely lost at least one friend or comrade to the supernatural. Some of them might be lost tonight. It wouldn't be at the hands of these two, however. They were on the same side. In addition, they had other things on their minds than killing humans. Alois and Amelie were more worried about their respective partners, who had just set foot into the lair of the beasts.

"It's unprofessional to exchange personal numbers with higher-ups." One soldier said.

"Oh. I do that all the time." The blonde stated, somewhat striking a small nerve, unwittingly. After all, the fact that a demon could have access to the personal information of members of the Round Table was absolutely inconceivable! Despite this, the blonde kept talking.

"Are you also not allowed to call him by name, or what? Or do you guys just use codenames on missions?" he asked.

"We use codenames for key figures, and last names for general agents." Answered another soldier, this one friendlier than the others. She actually prompted to sit next to the menace. "For example; Sir Integra is '_Babylon_', Miss Victoria is '_Mignonette',_ Sir Phantomhive is '_Watchdog'_, Mister Michaelis is '_Poe_' and Amelie over there is '_Beowulf'_."

"Huh?! Even Amelie has one!?" demanded the Macken, turning his head to look at a grinning werewolf.

"Oui!" the silver-haired girl replied, holding up two fingers. "Charlotte is _'Spotted Lily'." _

"Wait, do_ I_ have one?" the blonde asked, looking toward the others.

"No, at this point, you're still '_Specimen #D-03'_." Answered the soldier seated next to him. "No one was sure what to call you, it looked like." She added.

"How very dare they?" Alois said, crossing his arms over his chest in an overly dramatic fashion. "Am I unworthy of recognition?"

"How about '_Goldilocks'?"_ suggested one of the other men, earning a few chuckles. It seemed as though the conversation was helping them loosen up.

"Nah. First of all, I'm not the only blonde out of us '_high-ranking snobs'_, and secondly; _I'm a man."_

"Could've fooled us." Joked one of the others. "Put some meat on your bones, get a couple of battle scars, kid."

"I can't! I have to stay pretty for my watchdog!"

"That's not very manly…"

"Sure it is, when you're able to make the watchdog _beg."_ Alois said, prompting a few hoots and hollers from the other agents.

"Say what you want, gents, but it takes a brave-ass motherfucker to date _that_ guy." The soldier seated next to him pointed out. The relationship of the demonic duo was by no means a secret at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; so with that, the soldiers nodded and mumbled in agreement at that.

"Damn straight." The Macken said. "I was tortured, sold my soul twice, got stabbed, and tricked the shit out of a bunch of demons by the time I was fourteen! Ciel is_ no_ problem." While his tone was cheery, the grins of the other agents faded when he said that.

For a moment, Alois actually became a little nervous; or rather, more nervous than he was at the start. These men were extremely intimidating, after all. They were muscular, with scars and stern faces. Part of him was still a bit afraid of older men, even if he didn't let it get to him, the majority of the time. Now, he had somehow managed to upset this bunch. Did he say something wrong?

"Shit, kid…" the soldier seated directly across from him said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Why would you keep coming back to this? You're even involved with one of the most dangerous blokes in London… _Why do you do it?"_ There was no hesitation in answering on the blonde's part.

"Because I'm really happy, now." He said with a smile. "Ciel may look like a total arsemonger, but he's a real sweetheart and takes really good care of me. As for this, I guess it's sort of become kinda like a normal job, I guess." He laughed nervously as he was met with silence for a few moments as the others tried to process this information. Soon, however, their grins came back.

"You're alright, kid." Said the soldier across from him as the one to his side playfully punched his arm.

"I'm Brasher. On my right is Denzil and Huckabee; to the left is Eustis and Grant, and next to you is Harland." He listed off, introducing himself and the others. "I'm guessin' you already know '_Wolfy',_ since she doesn't seem bothered by ya."

"Is she usually hostile?" asked the blonde, looking to his friend.

"Nah, she just doesn't seem to like it when people sit too close to her. We've been on a few missions before, but she hardly says anything." Brasher answered. "And yourself?"

"I'm Alois." Answered the Macken. He leaned forward as the soldier offered to shake his hand. "Or _'#D-03'_, apparently."

"That won't do. You need yous a proper codename if you're a '_higher-up snob'."_ The soldier jested. "Whad'ya say, lads? What's this macho-man's name?"

"I dunno, mate. It's gotta be somethin' good." Said Eustis.

"How about '_Goldfinger'?"_ joked Denzil.

"Nah! That makes him sound like a stripper." Said Grant.

"He kind of reminds me of a lion." Suggested Harland, thinking aloud. Brasher snapped his fingers and pointed at the woman.

"That's it!" said Brasher. "We'll go from there. Lions, people think lions!"

"'_Leo's'_ pretty obvious, innit?" said Grant.

"What about '_Mufasa'?"_ asked Huckabee.

"Mufasa dies, you twat!" said Harland. "He looks more like a '_Simba', _anyway."

"Or '_Aslan'?"_

"Aslan's good." Said Brasher with a nod. "What do _you _think, kid?"

Alois was quiet for a few moments, furrowing his brow in thought. Whatever he picked was going to stick with him for a while, so he had to think carefully. Finally, he decided on what he should say next.

"You wanna know what I think?" he asked, his face completely serious. He paused, waiting for things to get quiet before continuing. "_In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight~!" _he sang. It only took a few notes before the others started laughing. Pretty soon, everyone in that armoured car was singing off-key and being merry as they passed the time with Alois Trancy leading them. Maybe being on backup wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**A/N: Fucking idiots...**

**Yeah, I wanted to start the mission this chapter, but then this happened. **

**I'm sorry, I'm sorry. The next one, I promise.**

**Do tell me what you think Alois' codename should be, though. I'm curious.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"How different do you think things would be if you and ciel or you and alois were together?"** by just obsessed  
_

_Sebastian's Answer:"They would probably be very different. I don't think I would have been able to change them in the way that they have. In fact, since I don't really understand romantic love, I afraid I would have only made them worse._

_ I would not be able to give Alois the sort of care that he needed, which would have inevitably destroyed him. As for the master, his trust in me would most likely be shaken, simply because I cannot give my heart to someone in way that he can. _

_I'm glad things turned out the way that they did. They've caused the worlds of a lot of people to become a bit brighter with their change, including my own." _

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_Question: **"Question for alois and ciel.- alot of talk about marriage lately. When I think of marriage I also think about babies! Do either of you think you want a child? I know you can shape shift into a female but can you stay in that for long enough for pregnancy? (If it works that way). and if so then if you did decide to have a baby which one would carry the child and would you want a boy or a girl?"** by lynnstormfiction_

_Ciel's Answer:__"I don't know. I don't think I'm ready for that sort of development. I can't shape-shift into the form of a woman at all. (not that I've tried) I have no idea what I would prefer. A son would be nice, but then again, Phantomhive girls are remarkably powerful... I would probably be proud to have either."  
_

_Alois' Answer: __"__Isn't it a bit early on to be thinking about this sort of thing? I would have to talk about it with Ciel, first, but to be frank, I don't think I'd be a very good parent. Uh, I can hold a female form for a little over an hour, now, so it would take us a while to get to that point. Honestly, though, I prefer being a man, so I'm not sure if I could go through with that. I dunno if I'd rather have a boy or a girl. Like I said, I don't really think I could take good care of them, either way..."_


	30. Beau Brummel

The location was the abandoned Coronet Theater in London where the Phantomhive gentleman arrived. Dim light shined through the windows as people shuffled inside. Every last one of them was a vampire save for the watchdog or rather "_Cornelius Wainwright",_ as his cover indicated. He would be posing as a general serving under none other than the leader of the city's largest coven, "Baby-Face" Baldassare.

Ciel had altered his appearance and even bathed in blood in order to mask his scent and blend in, much to his disgust. His hair, his face, and even his sense of style had changed to be that of someone worthy of attending an event hosted but London's second-largest coven, "_Gentlemen_", which he had been informed about on his way over. He was careful to memorize the names of the key figures of the organization. It had only three generals, as opposed to Baldassare's four- or five, if you include their imposter. Their names were Dean Grey, Elam Paul, and Gary- _just _"Gary".

Their leader's name was Jay Brummel. From what Ciel was told, he was an obnoxious, flashy, arrogant man who was in Baldassare's words: "_fucking annoying_". He definitely seemed like the sort of person who would attempt to auction off human beings under H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s nose.

Mister Brummel wasn't a complete fool, however. At the door, one had to provide proof of vampirism. One must show their fangs, eyes, and the bite-marks on their neck, which were all incredibly easy for a demon to fake. Ciel simply altered his appearance again in order to adapt.

Baldassare went first, then Ciel, and then Charlotte. Once they were inside, the girl grasped at the demon's arm, as per their plan. Neither of them were entirely thrilled, but it was either Charlotte pretend to be Ciel's partner, or be Baldassare's. She was relieved the Phantomhive was kind enough to go along with it so she didn't have to be in the arms of that awful excuse for a man. Once they were in the door, Ciel sent the blonde a text message, indicating that their infiltration was successful.

The theater's lobby had been fixed up to be the main hall. The snack bar had been reconstructed to be an ordinary bar, serving what could only be assumed to be contraband blood. Upon entry, they were each given a small map with a schedule on the back for various events, and immediately, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. spies felt disgusted.

"What is this…?" Ciel inadvertently asked aloud. His single eye narrowed as he looked up at Baldassare.

"What's it _look _like?" the coven leader asked. "I told you that these people were disgusting, didn't I?"

"How can people do this sort of thing?" inquired Charlotte. She gripped the Phantomhive's arm tighter as she looked over the events for that evening.

"They aren't '_people_'." Baldassare said. "They're monsters, and _I want them out of my city_. Why do you think I was so eager to cooperate to this operation?"

Ciel looked back down at the pamphlet in his hand, feeling enraged by what was to occur. Feasts of human flesh and public torturing of humans were some of the things listed on it other than the auction that they had come here to stop. Every vile, wicked act imaginable was on that schedule, and as Ciel looked around the room, no one else seemed to be concerned about it in the slightest. In fact, he could overhear arguing about what events other people wanted to go to.

"_Gentlemen?"_ Hardly. They were barbarians in suits. No, they weren't quite. That statement would be insulting to barbarians! These people were monsters and they needed to be exterminated.

"We need to get this information to _Bravo_ and _Echo_." The demon stated.

"Okay? Send your boy-toy a text, then." The other man said earning a mean look from the watchdog.

"He's not a _toy_, and I'm not sure if I can send_ him_ some of this…"

"Well there's your options, Fido." Baldassare stated, waving his arms. "Either give them the information they need to finish the mission, or _don't_." Ciel's brow furrowed again as he looked back at the paper, trying to decide on how he should approach this. He wasn't allowed to for very long, as he was alerted to the presence of someone approaching them. When he looked back to his allies, he saw Baldassare wearing a faux-smile as he greeted the new face.

"Baldassare!" the man said with a big smile. "How are you?"

"Brummel! Good to see you!" the spy said, shaking the man's hand. "_Brummel?"_ That _was Jay Brummel?_

The man was very clean-cut sort of stood out in the crowd. He wore a light blue suit and a pink vest with a black tie. His belt and shoes were white and shined brightly, polished to an absurd degree. Indeed, he was very showy. His hair seemed meticulously looked after and it looked as though he was wearing mascara. In right hand was a champagne glass filled with blood, and Ciel noticed that he had letters tattooed on each finger. "D-A-N-D-Y"? That spells "dandy".

His coven's name was "Gentlemen", he dressed in flashy suits, he had the word "dandy" on his hand, and given the fact that vampires often change their names upon turning, it could be assumed that "Brummel" was a reference to what was known as a "beau Brummel". How revolting. The Phantomhive never liked interacting with his type, and given the type of "entertainment" he's apparently into, Ciel was going to personally ensure that mister Brummel will not leave this building alive.

"And who's this?" the man asked looking over at the two other intruders with a friendly smile on his face. A flicker of hesitation appeared in the other coven leader's eyes, however fleeting. It took only a second for Baby-Face to recover, fortunately.

"This is my newest general, Cornelius Wainwright." Baldassare lied, making sure he used the Phantomhive's cover.

"Oh? Been expanding again, hm, Baldassare?" asked the self-proclaimed "gentleman". He then looked back to the imposter. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Jay Brummel."

"The pleasure's all mine." Ciel fibbed, effortlessly faking a smile. Following the man's eyes, however, the Phantomhive observed that the despicable character was inspecting the girl currently latched onto his arm. He could tell Charlotte was uncomfortable from the grip she had on him. He didn't blame her, either, with the sort of depravity he had planned for the evening.

"This is my girlfriend, Cheryl." Misled the watchdog, hoping that this would discourage the man from attempting anything obscene. Since his supposed "date" didn't have a name, he simply made one up on the spot.

"_Cheryl Garou."_ He added, using the surname of her girlfriend's preferred alias, causing the freckled vampire to blush. In all honesty, it was the only thing that he could come up with in that moment, given the recent news that the werewolf wanted to make the vampiress her wife. As uncomfortable as she was, Charlotte had a role to play, so she put on the best smile she could muster.

"Pleased to meet you." She said giving a small nod in greeting. She shuddered, feeling a grotesque chill run down her spine as Brummel gripped the hand of hers that was on the opposite side of the Phantomhive and brought it to his lips.

"The pleasure's all mine, m'lady." He said in a soft tone, causing the girl to forcibly stop herself from cringing. It was bad enough that she had to fake heterosexuality with a person who she knew the boyfriend of, but having a creep talk to her like that _while_ pretending to be in a heterosexual relationship was almost too much. "You're very beautiful. He's a lucky man."

Her eyelid almost twitched at that remark. As gently as she could she took her hand away in a manner that didn't seem rude before placing it on the watchdog's arm as well. Her fingers dug into the fabric of his jacket against her will as she spoke.

"You're too kind." She said, keeping up her façade to the best of her ability. Remarkably, the man before her appeared to be completely oblivious. After winking at her, he turned his attention back to the faux-vampire.

"You should meet my generals." Mister Brummel suggested. "They're around here, somewhere. Baldassare can probably point them out to you." Suddenly, his eyes shifted somewhere behind the group before flickering back to them.

"I'm so sorry, but there's other guests that I need to greet." He said.

"Don't sweat it. We'll talk later." Said Baldassare causing the other coven leader to smile again.

"I'll see you at the auction, then?" he asked.

"Of course." Replied Baby-Face, waving as the other man walked away. His friendly smile immediately turned into a smirk as soon as Brummel's back was turned.

"_I wouldn't miss it for the world."_

* * *

**A/N: I think I might just leave what all exactly is on that schedule up to the reader's imagination...  
**

**Don't wanna go there, really...**

**Also, I am so sorry, Charlotte. Please hang in there...**

**This character is just really slimy and gross. **

**Baldassare's not _all_ bad, fortunately. Even he thinks this shit is fucked up and wants this guy taken out in the easiest way possible.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"for Amelie and Charlotte: Have either of you ever wanted children? If so how would you go about it adoption maybe? Surrogate children? Also you know if you guys ever did want children what gender would you prefer how many and any specific names you guys like?"** by NessaTheSinner  
_

_Charlotte's Answer: "I guess maybe someday would be nice, but I don't think that's possible. Nobody's going to let a pair of gay supernaturals adopt, and I doubt H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would be okay with that. I haven't really thought about it because of that."_

_Amelie's Answer: "ALL OF THEM."_


	31. The Sickening Taste of Iron

"Are you alright?" Ciel asked or rather "Cornelius" did, addressing the girl on his arm. Charlotte looked up at him confusedly.

"Yeah, why?" she answered with a question of her own.

"You're clawing at my arm a bit." The Phantomhive pointed out, immediately prompting the vampiress to loosen her grip.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be. I don't blame you in the slightest." The faux-bloodsucker said. "You're in a very unpleasant position after all."

"I guess…" Charlotte replied. "Still, it could be worse. I'm at least in good hands."

"Are you _sure_ you're a lesbian?" asked Baldassare, placing his hands on his hips as he watched the scene. "You seem pretty alright with Fido."

"That's because I know he wouldn't dare try anything." The girl stated. "Did you know that girls can be friendly with boys without being interested in them?"

"Of course I know that!" the other vampire nearly barked. He opened his mouth again to continue speaking, but was cut off by the bluenette.

"Mister Baldassare," Ciel intervened, "forgive my rudeness, but it would be in your best interest not to cause a scene."

To that, the coven leader looked around to see a few fellow partygoers staring, only to look away once the man shot a glare in their general direction. The group was still in the middle of the repurposed lobby of the theatre, in the middle of a large crowd. It was best to speak with discretion, as not to give away their true objective and identities. If word got out that the Watchdog himself was at this party, the place would be evacuated in a matter of minutes, and Gentlemen would still be at large.

It became obvious that the group needed a more subtle way of communicating, however. They had to come up with a plan on how to get the information they had already acquired on the coven's activities back to the other two groups. In fact, they may need further reinforcements in order to sweep the place clean.

"Text your stupid pet!" Baldassare said in a hushed tone. "Get him the information he needs so we can wrap this up!"

Ciel thought for a moment. He knew that his beau was somewhat "touchy" when it came to the sort of thing that was going to conspire later that evening. It was understandable, after all. That's the way trauma works. Knowing the blonde menace, however, he would be more upset if the Phantomhive withheld the information for such a reason. Ciel didn't have to go into detail. All he had to do was convey the information in a way that was understandable.

"Alright." The Phantomhive said. "I'll do i-"

"Not right now." Baldassare quickly said, cutting the other man off. He looked at the watchdog before flickering his eyes somewhere off to the side and back. "We're being watched too closely."

To that his current accomplice followed his eyes, and when he did, Baldassare continued with: "See that squirrely lookin' bloke? The one who looks like he's snuck out on a school night, with the scar on his mouth?"

Sure enough, Ciel saw the person he was talking about, and he was indeed looking their way. He looked like a boy who should be in secondary school, just like Baldassare said. He was scrawny and looked like the kind who was easily picked on. The boy had a nasty look in his eyes, however, that made it look as though he was waiting for them to do something hasty so he can cut them up. To Ciel's surprise, he wasn't dressed too extravagantly. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt and yellow tie. The Phantomhive's eye looked back to Bladassare.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"That's Gary." The coven leader said.

"The general?" Ciel asked arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He's the worst one." His accomplice replied. "He's paranoid as fuck and gets off on cutting people up. Wait 'til you're out of his sight, first. If you can't get a chance, I'll distract him, somehow."

"What about the other two generals?"

"They won't be as likely to notice. They're _almost_ as arrogant as their boss, and probably don't think anybody will fuck with 'em."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" inquired the watchdog.

"Why are you asking me? You're the one behind the operation!" the coven leader answered.

"For now, I think our whispering is starting to get suspicious." Stated Ciel. "Split up and regroup in about fifteen minutes. If we haven't gotten the information out by then, make an opportunity."

"Fine. I'll do some snooping while I'm at it." Baldassare stated. "I can probably get something out of these desperate pigs."

"Swear by it?"

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, and ordinarily, I might agree with you, but know this: I hate this bunch and want them snuffed out as soon as possible." Spoke the vampire, pointing a finger in Ciel's face. "They're disgusting, and their filth puts the lives of _everyone _in the Glen in danger. I'm not gonna let that shit slide, you got that?"

"Yes, '_sir'."_ The Phantomhive stated, somewhat pleased with the coven leader's reasoning. The fire behind Baldassare's eyes gave his words credibility. He seemed quite passionate about this cause. Then again, he always did have a soft spot for the residents of the special zone.

"Tsk." The other man clicked his tongue in annoyance at the watchdog's response. With that he began to walk away. "I'm gonna go mingle." He said. "See you in a few."

Thus Ciel and Charlotte were alone in this unfamiliar territory. Neither of them really knew much of coven etiquette, so they weren't entirely sure how to proceed. All they really could do was converse amongst themselves.

"It's comforting to know that he's not complete scum." Charlotte said, still awkwardly clinging to Ciel's arm. "Think we can trust him?"

"Yes. Despite his tongue, Baby-Face really does care about what happens to the Glen." The Phantomhive answered. "It's his home, after all."

"Yeah, I can see that." The vampiress said, somewhat distractedly. Her eyes seemed to wander the room as the pair made their way across the room.

She had been a bit on edge from the moment she walked into the door. Charlotte was very nervous, given that this was her first undercover operation and all. Moreover, she had the morals of the club itself to worry about. She knew that most of the people kidnapped were women, and given the behaviour of the coven's leader toward her, she had every right to be afraid. There was all of this to worry about as well as some other factor that Ciel couldn't quite figure out. When the man started to follow her eyes, however, it dawned on him.

Blood. There was a wait staff carrying trays with champagne glasses full of blood on them. Sometimes, Charlotte's eyes would land on the bar, only for her to catch herself and tear her gaze away. Her eyes seemed more red than usual and her pupils were slit. When she spoke, the watchdog could see her fangs. Charlotte was a vampire who worked at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and with all of this blood around it was only natural for her to be a bit tempted.

"If you want some blood, why don't you have some?" Ciel finally asked arching an eyebrow. In response, Charlotte looked up to him with an almost startled expression, before uttering a long sigh.

"I can't." she stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "If it gets out that I drank contraband blood, I'll get in serious trouble. More importantly, knowing_ where_ it came from… it just wouldn't feel right."

"That's very dignified." Answered the bluenette. "I'm sorry to trouble you with this."

"Nah, it's my job." Charlotte said. "I'd have to do it anyway." Her temporary partner was about to reply, but stopped as he noticed the boy that Baldassare pointed out to earlier making his way through the crowd while heading straight toward them.

"Gary's coming." He said. "Think you can keep your composure?"

"I'll do my best." His date whispered back straightening herself as the boy approached them.

"Hi! We haven't met yet!" Gary said as greeting, his scarred lips forming a bright smile. "I hear you're the newest Girasol general! I'm Gary. No last-name; just '_Gary'. _I'm one of the generals of Gentlemen. He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for a handshake. When the Phantomhive obliged, he seemed to grip a bit _too_ firmly.

"Cornelius Wainwright." Ciel answered, sticking to his fib. He flashed a friendly smile before gesturing to Charlotte with his free hand. "And this is my girlfriend, Cheryl Garou."

"Nice to meet you!" replied as Charlotte gave him a small nod. Somehow, she managed to revert herself back to her usual appearance, but it might not last long. Gary turned his attention back to the other man. "Your friend doesn't seem too comfortable around here."

"She's not used to these sort of functions."

"Ah, well, she'll learn." Gary said, flashing the girl a smirk. He rubbed his nose with his finger before continuing. "I don't see a drink in your hand, Mister Wainwright. Could you not get your hands on one?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Ciel answered. Baldassare was right. This boy was suspicious. "Admittedly, I haven't been to too many parties like this, myself, so I always have a little bit of trouble."

"Ah, no worries! I'll get one for you!" the younger male said.

"Oh, no, I couldn't." This was bad. It was bad enough that Ciel had to bathe in blood that evening; he certainly didn't want to drink it. Gary was obviously trying to flush him out. Moreover, Charlotte was having a bit of trouble around this much human blood. Who knows what would happen if it got within a certain proximity to her?

Unfortunately, by the time Ciel uttered those words, his enemy had already gotten hold of a glass and offered it to him. He said: "I insist", leaving the Phantomhive with no time to think and with no options. Thus Ciel begrudgingly took the glass.

"You're too kind." He replied, smoothing over the annoyance in his voice and offering a faux-smile. Without a moment's hesitation, he placed the glass up to his lips and took a few sips.

It was revolting and tasted like iron. He simply could not understand how a species could base their entire diet off of the substance. Charlotte was genuinely shocked by the act, but it was masked over by her desire to take the glass from the demon and drink it herself. Somehow Ciel managed to conceal his true feelings about the drink and smile.

"I think I might have needed that more than I thought I did." He lied, his irritation growing as the other male continued talking.

"Glad I could help." Spoke Gary. "So what sort of events will you and your lady be going to?"

"Definitely the auction, but I'm having trouble deciding with the others." Ciel answered. "What would you recommend?"

"The feast, definitely." His enemy replied. "We've got some really choice meats, this time. Also, the torture chamber. That one's my favourite. Whenever they cut off pieces, they'll sometimes toss it at the audience! I once caught a whole arm!"

Disgusting. This person was disgusting. Ciel was already to the point of nearly gagging on the blood that he was forced to continue drinking while the boy was talking and actually_ listening _to what he was saying made the demon want to bash his head in. Still, the Phantomhive had a part to play, and he was certainly not going to let up just yet. He would make this wretch suffer before the night was over anyway. With patience, everything would go according to plan.

That said, continuously downing blood was starting to get to the Phantomhive. The last time he had this much blood on his mouth, he was coughing it up onto the rooftops of a castle while engaged in a battle to the death. It wasn't pleasant then, and it most certainly is not pleasant now. If he just sipped it and left it, it would be suspicious. If he drank it all in one go, that would be suspicious too. Ciel had to drink it at a reserved, steady pace, but alas, the poor man was almost on the verge of gagging.

So this was Gary's game? He was going to wait the Phantomhive out until his cover was blown. Despite the boy's smile, he had a nasty glint in his eyes that seemed to only confirm this. His eyes, however, soon flickered back to Charlotte.

"Miss, you're bleeding!" he pointed out, snapping Charlotte back to her senses. She had become very fixated on the blood that Ciel was drinking, and had been biting her lip in an effort to maintain her composure. Unfortunately, she seemed to have forgotten about her fangs, causing blood to drip down her chin.

Gary's eyes flickered to the Phantomhive, obviously daring him to do something about it. To vampires, it was almost a sin to waste blood, and the pair were supposedly a "couple", weren't they? Gary didn't believe them. They didn't act like it. Their posturing was too awkward to be anything but friends. So, Ciel leaned in and begrudgingly lapped at it, trailing his tongue up his coworker's chin before placing a very chaste kiss at the corner of her mouth.

"_Désolé."_ He whispered, hoping that Charlotte had picked up enough French from Amelie to understand his apology. He had crossed a line and he knew it, but he had to stick with their story. In response, the girl only nodded, startling the demon when she took one of her hands and placed it on his cheek. There was a dazed look in her eyes as the flashed red. Her pupils slit as she could smell the blood on the man's breath.

"Ah, I'll let you two have your moment." Gary said awkwardly. His eyelid twitched in annoyance, having failed to assert his assumption. "I'll talk to you later." He added as he walked away. Once he was out of range, the Phantomhive quickly pulled back.

"He's gone." Ciel said, once again bringing the girl back to her senses. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry." Replied Charlotte, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Don't ever do that again."

"I'm really sorry. He was suspicious of our credentials." Her accomplice replied. "I'm going to have to come clean to Jim later or else I won't be able to look him in the eye…"

"You almost made me do something stupid." The girl said, her voice laced with irritation. "I almost bit you."

"I know. I realised it after I got close." The watchdog said handing the girl the half-full glass in his hand. "I really want to brush my teeth after that… Had I been human, I would've become chronically ill from that."

"I can't take this." Charlotte insisted, pressing the glass back into the man's hand. "I'm not drinking contraband blood."

"I can't drink it. If I do, I will most likely throw up. It'll be suspicious if I put it back as it is, and you're starting to lose yourself." The Phantomhive stated. "It may be contraband, but you can't complete the mission as shaky as your nerves are, right now." Charlotte took the glass again, eyeing it with an uncertain look.

"Sometimes, choices must be made, even if they contrast with our own beliefs in order to achieve a certain goal." Ciel continued. "Whatever you choose could affect the outcome." The girl's brow furrowed at those words.

They were in some ways, true, but Charlotte didn't want them to be. She wanted to save the abducted, but she didn't want to sacrifice this part of her that felt like taking the blood that was forced from them as her own was wrong. It was too important to her. Yet Ciel and Alois both knew of necessary sacrifice and she trusted their input and wisdom. Ciel was right. She would have to choose. She could either drink the blood and sedate her hunger and clear her head, or she could cope without it and fight with a muddled mind. It was obvious which choice was most logical. Charlotte knew what she had to do.

She set the glass down on a table as the passed it, surprising the demon as she looked at him straight in the eye.

"No." she said surely. "That's something that I'm not able to do. If I drank it, I feel like I'd be no better than _them_." With raised eyebrows the watchdog simply looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"I understand." He said. "I don't think that's a practical decision, but I understand the sentiment."

"What do you know about practical decisions? You're the one who almost refused to message Alois with information Bravo and Echo need to complete the mission." Charlotte pointed. "Are you going to send it to him, by the way? Gary isn't watching." To this, Ciel immediately took his phone out.

"I forgot." He admitted as he began to type. He was able to type quickly, being one who preferred texting to talking on the phone. The Phantomhive decided that it would be best to provide the blonde with tidbits of information at a time so that he wasn't occupied for long. Half of the information made it to team Bravo along with the knowledge that more was on the way. After the message was sent, Ciel immediately deleted it from his history before placing his mobile back in his pocket.

"They have half of it, now." Ciel stated. "Is the coast still clear?"

"For now." The vampire answered. "Hopefully there will be another chance. If not we still have Baldassare to count on."

Meanwhile, a certain boy was making his way through the crowd, rubbing the underside of his nose with his finger. His brow was furrowed, and he was currently seeking out one of his associates to talk to. Gary simply couldn't shake the feeling that there was something "off" about mister "Cornelius Wainwright"; he just wasn't sure what. He did know, however, that he didn't smell quite right. As he continued to smell the fingers of the hand that he used to shake the supposed "general's", he smelled blood, but something else. It wasn't the smell of a vampire, but he couldn't recognise it.

"_He stinks…"_

* * *

**A/N: 3,091 words...**

**Poor Charlotte. Even Ciel has to creep on her. Alois and Amelie are gonna have to kick his ass, later...**

**Charlotte needs to kick some ass, too...**

**Everyone's ass is gonna get kicked.**

**Question?  
**

_**"Are there such a Thing as supernatural surrogates?" by RapunzelInTheSnow**_

**Probably not. First of all, lots of kids in the Glen are orphans, so that's an option, and secondly, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. keeps a strict eye on their population, and who lives where, so surrogates might be a bad idea... Any misunderstanding can prove to be disastrous when dealing with fearful people with guns.  
**

**Well that's grim...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"question for Sebastian: Do you think Ciel and Alois would make good parents?"** by RemyCole  
_

_Sebastian's Answer: "I think they would be better parents than they think they would be. I don't think they're emotionally ready for that commitment yet, however."_


	32. Taboo Phrase

Baldassare had left the faux-couple in order to do some snooping of his own. He couldn't babysit them all night; that would be suspicious. Truth be told, he didn't much care for the watchdog's presence, and was somewhat glad to get away from him. The Phantomhive made him feel on edge and he did not like that.

When it came to most people from the special zone, the coven leader was genuinely afraid of "the Watchdog". The demon was far more powerful than Baldassare could ever be. Even after hundreds of years of fighting tooth and nail to get where he was, he is still no match for a demon. Despite his self-destructive tendencies, Baldassare was afraid. He had lived for so long and had come to fear death, even if he sometimes wished that it would release him from the curse of being a child forever. Baldassare has tried everything, but he just couldn't die. Things that would kill humans wouldn't work on him, so although the barrel of a gun had kissed his temple and painted the walls red seemingly countless times, he would not die.

Even the times when he had tried things lethal to vampires, he had failed. He once went out into the sun and sat there, allowing it to burn him. It's Glen rules that you can only use one spell at a time, so it is not within his power to purchase shade gel to protect himself from the sun's rays. Katelyn had found him before too long and brought him back to the Wolf's Glen. He was too weakened to fight back at the time. It took days for the painful burns and blisters to heal. Afterwards, he tired his personal pistol; the one with the antifreak bullets. Despite his wishes, despite his preparation, he hesitated, and simply could not bring himself to pull the trigger. In truth, Baldassare did not want to die. He simply didn't want to be a child anymore. He didn't want to be perceived as weak anymore.

That is what truly frightened him about the Watchdog. Ciel reminded the vampire that he was weak, and had threatened his life on multiple occasions. He would go through with it, too. If Baldassare wasn't useful to the Phantomhive, the Girasol vampire would have been killed off ages ago. It was best to cooperate with the demon rather than oppose him.

There was a lot relying on him, after all. Part of the reason why his coven was the largest in the city was simply because of his desire to protect the people of the special zone. Gentlemen offered fleeting pleasure and debauchery. Girasol offered security and care. Even if Baldassare was rude, foul-mouthed, and hot-headed, he didn't want the people of the Glen to get hurt. He was afraid of death not only for himself, but the worry of leaving the others to deal with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and pigs like Gentlemen themselves. The vampire wrinkled his nose at the sentiment. He hated having feelings.

Fifteen minutes. He only had fifteen minutes before he had to search for his associates again. Now, this wasn't a lot of time, but surely, he could come up with something within that timeframe. He was _the_ Baldassare, after all! Even if this was another person's turf, he was still the head of the biggest coven in London, and subsequently, the United Kingdom. Vampires, regardless of rank or association, had to have at least some respect for that. A smirk appeared across his face as he spotted a prime target.

"Elam Paul!" he called, walking up to the man. The other vampire seemed to jump at the sound of his voice, but turned around all the same to greet the coven leader.

Elam Paul was one of the three generals of the Gentleman coven. Another young –looking man, appearing to be in his mid-twenties. He didn't dress in a full suit. Instead, he wore a tie and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a blue vest. His hair was tousled and snake-bite piercings stuck in his lips, making Baldassare wonder how on earth he was supposed to bite anyone without tearing his own face open first. Regardless, Paul was the laid-back sort, and was easy to read. If Baldassare asked, he could definitely get something from him.

"Hey, Baldassare." The general answered. "How can I help you?"

"It's nothin', really. I was just wantin' to know if you knew anything about tonight's '_entertainment'."_ Baldassare answered. He kept it casual, so as to not make this an interrogation. Baby-Face dealt with interrogations in a completely _different_ manner that was somewhat more than "conspicuous".

"Most everything's on the programs. Did nobody give you one?"

"Yeah, I got one." The coven leader said holding it up. This was going nowhere fast. "I was just wonderin' about your set-up on some of these. Like, what's with the Russian Roulette tournament? How do you keep people from getting hit with stray bullets?"

"Oh, I see." Replied Elam. "Well, with that, we have three rows of tables all in a straight line. Then on between them, we built these walls in between the rows to keep the players from shooting the wrong guy."

"I get it." Baldassare answered. He tried not to shudder as he imagined the blood-soaked walls at the end of the game. "What about the torture chamber? Are the '_players'_ already there waiting?"

"Nah. We just march them through the halls to the room." The other vampire replied. "Get more audience members that way. Piques their interest a bit."

"Huh, hadn't thought about that." Babyface pretended to ponder. "You do the same thing for the auction?"

"Nope. Those humans are already there, gettin' prettied up." Paul stated. "Gotta make them look nice, or nobody will buy them!"

"You got a point, there." Said Baldassare. His attention briefly shifted to pluck a glass of blood from one of the passing waiters. He couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound too forward, so he simply pretended to be more casual about it than he really was. He took a sip of a drink and wrinkled his nose.

"Did you mix the blood?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we put it in an easy place to dispense it, why?"

"Uh-uh. You can't do that." Baldassare said, wagging a finger with his free hand. "Mixing the blood of different people messes with the purity of the taste. Different blood types taste different, and mixing them willy-nilly can make it taste downright gross if you do it wrong!"

"I didn't know that!" the general said. "I never noticed…"

"When you get to be my age, you learn to savour it a bit more. You can't know the difference if you just chug it." Spoke the other vampire. "If you're hunting, you gotta choose your prey more carefully. Get them where you can take your time. Then it's not a problem!"

"Huh… I gotta try that now." Said Paul. He offered up a smile. "You really know your shit don't you? Guess it's to be expected of _the_ "BabyFace" Baldassare!"

As if on reflex, the glass in the coven leader's hand was smashed against the side of the general's head, shattering it and sending the younger vampire to the floor. Elam landed with a thud with shards of broken glass stabbing into his skin and blood staining his previously white shirt. He looked up, clutching the side of his head to see Baldassare staring down at him. The Girasol vampire had his hand held out, covered in blood and cuts from the glass. The mix of both human and vampire blood seeped into his wounds before sealing themselves shut and Baldassare clenched his fist and bared his fangs.

"_What was tha?"_ he demanded as he glared down at the younger vampire. "I think I might've misheard ya. It sounded like you just called me '_Baby-Face'!"_ The crowd around them gasped as he raised his leg and brought it down on that of the general, breaking bone. Paul let out what was the beginnings of a scream before muffling it with his hand.

"I don't care who you are, what coven you're from, or what rank you are;" Baldassare continued. "Nobody calls me '_Baby-Face'_. Understand?" Paul nodded his head before snapping his bone back into place. His opponent didn't seem at all phased when Mister Brummel made his way over, trying to see what was happening.

"What happened?!" asked the leader of Gentlemen, looking down at his lackey and then to Baldassare. In an instant, he knew exactly what occurred.

"Your flunky disrespected me." Baldassare said flatly. He began to walk past the man, pausing to hand him the glass that he took only a small sip from. "And next time, don't mix blood types. It ruins the taste." With that he left the man standing there in stunned silence.

"Marvelous…" said Brummel, catching the attention of the other leader.

"Huh?" the Girasol vampire asked, looking over his shoulder and arching an eyebrow.

"Marvelous!" the other man repeated. "Such power and dignity! Such exquisite taste! You, sir, are a true gentleman!"

"Like hell, I am." Baldassare answered, furrowing his brow and wrinkling his nose in disgust. "I'm a criminal, just like you only _better."_

"I'm gonna bounce." He continued, putting his hands in his pockets. "Not really a social butterfly, and I can get my own food."

"But-"

"_Cornelius!"_ Baldassare barked, summoning the demon's attention. Within moments, both he and Charlotte were at the Girasol vampire's side, wondering what on earth was going on. "We're leaving."

Without saying another word, they walked out the door, waiting until they were out of a certain range before speaking. Baldassare was leading them back to the Bravo team's truck. He had information that they might want.

"Why did you do that?!" Ciel demanded. "We were so close!"

"I fucked up and bashed the guy's head, alright? What d'ya want me to do?" asked Baldassare. "Besides, I got info. Apparently, they're keeping the victims in two separate places. The ones that are gonna be sold off are in the same room that the event's gonna be held in."

"And the rest?"

"Probably in the basement." The vampire said. "Relax. We got this. I'll have you know, that was my old place before my group got too big and needed relocating! I can get us back in."

"Fine. We'll need you to go back in with Bravo and Echo, then." Said the Phantomhive. "We'll need to seal the entrances and exits, though. Think you can help with that as well?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just go get your bitch this info and give 'em a map."

"He's _not _my '_bitch'."_ The watchdog said sternly, actually frightening the vampire a bit.

"Sheesh, you really do love this guy, don't ya?" Baldassare answered, trying to play it off. "Alright, alright. Get it to Goldilocks, then we attack."


	33. The Man With The Plan

"The hell?" suddenly asked Alois, looking toward the door of the armoured car in which he sat. The soldiers paused their game of poker for a moment and looked up as well.

"What is it?" asked Brasher.

"It's Ciel…" the blonde trailed off. "I can sense when he's nearby and for some reason, he's getting closer to us?"

"Can you tell if anybody's with him?" asked Harland.

"Yeah… Two vampires." Alois stated. "Probably Charlotte and Baldassare." Despite his reassurance, the group reached for their guns and got ready. Then, there was a knock on the metal door.

"Bravo-Team, it's me, Sir Phantomhive. We've got information." Called a voice. It sounded like the bluenette, but not quite. Still Alois was confident, so he got up and opened it.

Just as he figured, there was Charlotte, Baldassare, and a rather odd-looking version of the bluenette. Ciel was still in the middle of changing back, so his facial structure was a bit off and his hair was changing back from maroon to bluenette. He was still recognizable, however, making it hard for Alois not to laugh.

"Welcome, milord." The blonde teased, holding out his hand to help his beau into the vehicle. "What brings you back so soon?"

"There's been a very slight change of plans." Ciel replied. "We now know where the captives are located, and they've so generously given us maps of the building. With a little more detail added by Baldassare, we can rescue the victims with ease."

"Super. Let's get crackin'." Alois said, helping Charlotte into the car once the bluenette had taken a seat. The vampiress sat next to her own sweetheart. With that, the girl immediately started tugging at the skirt of her dress, removing it to reveal a pair of shorts underneath.

"So, how was being a heterosexual?" the menace teased, earning a sigh from Charlotte.

"I don't think it's quite for me, thanks." The girl replied, only to be latched onto by Amelie. The lycanthrope then growled.

"You have his scent on you." The werewolf said, glaring at the bluenette.

"My apologies, it was necessary. Charlotte is nice, but I'd rather stick with Jim." Spoke the Phantomhive. He pulled the pamphlet he had acquired from the soiree out of his pocket before looking up. "Who's the commanding officer, here?"

"That would be me." Said Harland, standing up in the tall truck. "Captain Debbie Harland, at your service, Sir." She offered a salute to her superior.

"At ease." Ciel instructed. He crouched down on the floor, spreading out the map. "We need to discuss our plan for attack." The woman followed suit and sat with him as the others leaned in to see what they were doing.

"Any ideas?" she asked.

"We need to somehow seal the entrances and exits." The bluenette stated. "No enemies must be allowed to leave alive. There are a total of five positions. How many are on the Echo's squad?"

"About nine." Harland answered. She looked around and counted heads. "We have ten. I'm afraid it would take at least… maybe three soldiers per exit."

"We'll have to call for another squad to join us, then." Ciel replied, to which the captain turned to Brasher.

"Call for backup." She instructed, earning a "yes ma'am" from the man before he grabbed the radio. Harland then turned to the bluenette. "Then what? Send in troops and do a sweep of the place?"

"Precisely." Said the Phantomhive. "Once it's clear, we'll give the troops on the outside the okay to stand down. It should be a pretty standard sweep of the interior, unless Baldassare has anything to add."

"They've got weapons, most likely." Spoke the Girasol vampire. "I know they've got shit to torture with, so they've probably got blades. That's gonna be where they're going to be leading the humans still in the basement to. I can also tell ya that they've probably gotten their hands on some guns."

"So we'll need some more gear." Harland mused. "Brasher, we're gonna need some bulletproof shields."

"You got it." The man said before speaking into the radio.

"Charlotte, Amelie and I will help sweep then interior as well." Added Ciel. "We won't need shields. Baldassare will have to help us with directions, so he's going in too."

"What about me?" inquired Alois, leaning in to look at the map.

"You're on exterior." The Phantomhive answered.

"What?!"

"I'm sorry, Jim, but it's not my rule." Stated the bluenette. "It's Integra's. You're not allowed in."

"_Uuuuugh." _

"And complaining won't change that." Ciel added, watching as the blonde sulked. "You can actually seal more than one exit on your own with that plant ability of yours. You'll be helping us out immensely."

"Still not the same…" pouted the menace, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm perfectly capable of handling a couple of vampires." His almost childish gesturing caused the Phantomhive to look at him fondly for a moment before getting up and walk over to him. Ciel then took the blonde's face between his palms and kissed his furrowed brow.

"I know you can, but I don't want you to get in trouble with Integra, alright?" the watchdog replied. A blush formed on his beau's face as some of the other agents uttered small "_aws_" and as Baldassare stuck out his tongue and wrinkled his nose.

"Alright, I got it!" Alois bashfully protested. He tried in vain to shoo the other man's hands away from his face, as he beau took it upon himself to pinch the blonde's reddening cheeks.

"It's cute how you get lonely when I'm away." Teased Ciel. "Don't worry, I'll come back to you quickly, I promise."

"Ugh! Why d'ya have to mess with me now?" the blonde complained. "Do you know how long it took to make myself look _cool _in front of these guys?!"

"Sorry. I'm just trying to recover from pretending to be in a heterosexual relationship with a lesbian and being forced to drink blood." The watchdog said, releasing the man. Before he could straighten his back, the menace grabbed his head and held it in place.

"D'aw, has the puppy been having a bad day? Poor baby…" he cooed, stroking the bluenette's cheeks with his thumbs while the other operatives tried their best to hold in their snickering. "Do you need hugs and kisses to make it all better?"

"Fine. You win this round, Macken." The bluenette answered. With that, he took a seat next to the blonde. "For now, we have to wait until backup arrives. Until then, I suggest you all contact Echo and inform them of the plan and decide who's going where."

"I'll contact Echo." Said Brasher, leaving the second half up to Captain Harland. With that, the woman thought.

"Alright. Here's what we'll do…"

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry. This was a hard chapter to write... **

**It's one of those: "For the sake of moving the plot along" chapters.**

**Kind of boring...**

**Ah, well. The next on should be better.**

**Let's break some shit!**

**Until then, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"For Integra: do you have plans to have a child to continue running Hellsing when you either retire or die?"** by trancyHive18  
_

_Integra's Answer: "Not in the slightest. I have no desire to have any children at all. When I die, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. will become a government-run agency. I just hope that they don't disgrace it's legacy."_

_00000000000000000_

_Questions: **"For Maxwell: Have you found a partner to redo your final exam with yet or do you have to go solo? For Audrey: How's it going with Miranda? Have you guys gone on a date yet? ;)"** by GracieSutcliff1124_

_Maxwell's Answer: "No, unfortunately, and there's no make-ups... I have to go through training all over again..."_

_Audrey's Answer: "N-no! We're not like that. We're just friends..."_


	34. Now Playing

"This is Alpha team, is everyone in position?" asked Brasher over the radio. "Sound off."

"Gamma's good." Said Huckabee into the radio, earning a nod from Denzil.

"Omega's ready."

"So am I." Alois said finally, uttering a sigh. "I mean _Leo's_ in position." He added, knowing that some of the teams were from Echo and the additional backup.

The blonde was still not at all pleased with the organization of things, but there it was. He was positioned at the back entrance of the theater, and sulked at the realization that hardly anyone will exit that way. Still, it could happen. He'd probably get full members of Gentleman, if anyone did come his way. The easiest solution, though, was to not allow them to even open the door.

His eyes glowed red and he grit his teeth, and raised his arms. The concrete beneath his feet began to crack and large roots peeked out before growing into the back door that sat before him. He did the same thing with the other door that he was assigned to guard, effectively sealing it shut. Now, if the vampires inside wanted out, they would have to go a different way and fall beneath a hail of bullets.

"Backdoors are sealed shut." The blonde said into the radio. He paused for a moment and waited for a response.

"Alright. Alpha squad is moving in. Let's start sweeping." Said Brasher as their truck came to a halt. He leaped out with both his squad, and the squad that would be guarding the front entrance. That squad, Beta, immediately got into position while Ciel rushed past them.

Quickly, he removed his sword from its sheath and broke the glass in the front box. He plunged the blade into the chest of the vampire manning it before he could warn those inside. With that, he had just taken out their first line of security, the same person who performed the check to make sure that Ciel was a vampire that evening, only this time, his true face was plain for all to see.

An eyepatch and a sour look? Strange blueish-black hair? Truly, the vampires inside would be terrified, as the boogeyman that supernaturals warn their children about was here. The Watchdog had arrived, and he brought H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. with him.

He opened the door that connected the booth to the lobby on the inside of the building, sparking the curiosity of those nearby. The smell of fresh blood hit their nostrils, but it wasn't that of a human. It was the blood of the vampire that now laid dead on the floor of the booth and the same blood that now speckled the bluenette's white suit, staining it crimson.

Screams started to erupt toward the front of the house, startling those who were on the outskirts of the lobby. Some began to run toward the doors, only to be greeted with guns in their faces as Alpha squad entered. Charlotte, Amelie, Grant, Brasher, and Captain Harland opened fire, advancing as their way cleared enough to permit it. Baldassare stood with them, as to avoid getting shot himself, simply watching as it all unfolded in stunned silence.

Baldassare was a violent person. He used force often, and even killed people in the process, but this was something that he wasn't familiar with. He wasn't used to seeing vampires running and screaming while others fell in a bloodied heap. There were no good guys here. These humans were just almost as horrible as Gentlemen. The only difference was that they had greater firepower and knew how to use it. As the last person fled into the depths of the theater, Alpha advanced.

"Let's move!" said Captain Harland. Meanwhile, the bluenette quickly glanced over the bodies as he walked through them.

"I don't see Brummel or any of the generals." He said. After that Baldassare looked around as well, finding him to be correct.

"Then stay on your toes." Harland instructed. "They still have their chain of command."

"Baldassare, any ideas as to where Brummel could be hiding?" the Phantomhive asked. "If we can take him out, they'll all fall apart."

The coven leader simply stared at him for a moment, terrified of his gaze. How could he be so calm? He was surrounded by bodies with still more fighting to come, yet the watchdog's gaze was just as stern as always. Now, Baldassare wished that he had brought some of his own generals as well. He was in a room filled with the corpses of vampires and the team that killed him. Furthermore, he couldn't run away.

"Th-there's a room that's deeper into the building." Baldassare finally replied. "That's where I used to hang out when this was Girasol's hideout."

"Then I'll head that way." Ciel said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his pamphlet before unfolding it. "Mark it on the map for me." Hesitantly, the vampire did as instructed. It was only then that he realised that he had nothing to mark the map with.

"Our priority is the victims." Said Captain Harland, somewhat speaking out of turn. "We have to think about them, first."

"I know." Ciel said. "You take your team and search for them. Kill any enemies you come across on the way. I'm going to take out their chain of command so they can't organise a retaliation."

"Yes, Sir." The woman answered before turning her attention to Baldassare. "What about him?"

"Do you need Baldassare to help navigate?" asked the watchdog.

"No. We've gotten through worse, and we've got a map." Harland replied.

"The he can come with me." Ciel said. The vampire almost flinched when the man's gaze fell on him. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Answered the crew. Baldassare only replied with a nod.

"Then let's move!"

Boots rumbled as they stormed across the floor and deeper into the theater. A duller roar broke off of it as four feet turned in a different direction. The watchdog and Baby-Face traversed deeper into the building as well, with the vampire leading the way. As they did so, however, the Girasol leader was becoming more and more anxious.

With every surprise attack and with every horde they faced, Ciel would leap ahead of Baldassare and swing his blade. Vampires fell again and again, continuously dying the white suit crimson. Eventually, the matching eyepatch had become so stained that the bluenette had to remove it, revealing his contracted symbol. Once he did that, however, the attacks slowed down. Now instead of attacking, the enemies would turn and run away. Baldassare didn't even have to fire a single shot from his revolver. The night was still young, but the team was cutting it close.

"Baldassare, what time is it?" the watchdog finally asked. It took the vampire a moment to snap to his senses before he was capable of reading the watch on his wrist.

"It's almost midnight." Answered Baby-Face, causing the bluenette to scowl.

"We'll be cutting it close, then…" Ciel replied. "What's closer, the room you were talking about, or the torture chamber?"

"The torture chamber." Baldassare stated. "The room of the coven head is deeper inside." His accomplice didn't seem to like this answer. The bluenette paused for a moment to think.

"Change of plans." He stated. "We're heading to the torture chamber."

"What, wh-" the vampire cut himself off as it dawned on him. "_Oh…"_

_"Let's hurry."_

* * *

**A/N: Ah, I wanted to write more on this tonight, but I pissed around too much today, and I have to get up early tomorrow.  
**

**Kristopherson is gonna be so pissed off about that white suit, lemme tell ya...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Ciel I thought you were uncomfortable with PDA... what happened to that mate?"** by Socially Awkward Oreo Monster_

_Ciel's Answer:"I suppose I've just gotten used to it. That said, I'm still not alright with certain forms of public displays of affection. Kissing is fine, as long as it's chaste. I'd rather keep it so that only Jim gets to see me in a somewhat more... *ahem* heated state..."  
_


	35. Thought I Understood Guess I Was Wrong

_"It's almost time for the demonstration!"_ Baldassare said. "Five minutes until they start!"

"There's probably already a crowd in there if they hadn't caught wind of the commotion, by now." Ciel pointed out as they dashed toward the theater in which the sadistic "show" was going to take place.

If they barged in as is, they would most likely cause a fuss, causing the humans to be placed in danger. Still, what choice did they have? Ciel's suit was covered in blood and his eye was visible, giving away his identity right away. The fact that there was a crimson-soaked blade in his hand didn't help either. How could they do things more subtly?

Quickly, Ciel sheathed his sword and wrestled one arm out of the sleeve of his jacket before placing his weapon under it. Then, he removed the jacket from his other arm and let it fall to the floor. He began to roll up his sleeves before messing with his hair, causing it to cover over his eye somewhat.

"What the hell are you doing?!" the Girasol vampire demanded, obviously confused by the man's actions.

"Altering my disguise." answered the Phantomhive, as his body began to change back into that of "Cornelius Wainwright".

Now it simply appeared that the small splotches of blood on his pants and tie were simply part of his wardrobe. It wouldn't fool the noses of the vampires for long, but it would be enough to help them maintain the element of surprise for a few moments. A few moments is all it would take to exterminate a good portion of the enemy-vampires.

The pair slowed down as the approached the door. Ciel gripped the handle before glancing to Baldassare, who offered him a nod and placed a hand in his coat and gripped the handle of his revolver. After a few silent moments, they opened the door, their eyes widening and noses wrinkling at the sight. Soon, however, Ciel's expression of disgust and astonishment turned into a snarl.

There was a large crowd, whispering amongst themselves as they waited for the performance to begin. On the stage in front of them were three large cages, each one containing at least three humans. There were women, children, and a few young men trapped with terrified, despair-ridden faces pointed toward the ground. They didn't even want to look at the various knives and instruments that would be used to bring them a slow, painful, and humiliating death that sat on one of the two table on the stage. The other was weighed down and had leather straps fastened to it so that they may keep the victims restrained. This was a familiar scene, and it certainly made the bluenette's blood boil.

Baldassare almost cowered as the Phantomhive's visage warped with hatred, baring his teeth and furrowing his brow. The vampire actually took a few steps back as the man's disguise began to slip away completely, his body catching fire in a few patches and alerting the attention of the audience. Ciel forgot subtlety and the element of surprise as he drew his blade. He was going to kill every single person in this room who wasn't protected by a cage.

His actions drew the attention of the audience, causing some members to stand. Before any of them knew it, there was a flash of white as he leaped into the air before landing on the backs of a few seats in the middle of the crowd. He leaped again before the blood from the nightwalkers' heads could spray him as they fell apart. Screams broke out as the vampires headed toward the exit, forcing Baldassare to reveal that he had betrayed them by opening fire. He ran out of shots before he needed to reload, giving his kind the chance to rush him, but to their dismay a ball of black flames landed between them. From it sprang black spikes, impaling the closest vampires as well as the ones directly behind the first batch.

From the flame stood a demon. The spikes had come from his dark garb before the threads unfastened themselves and retracted back into the Phantomhive's coat. Once the first two rows fell, Ciel worked on the third, giving his sword a wide swing. The man took a step forward, and the vampires stood back, pressing against each other and shoving in hopes of forcing the others to move. Yet there was nowhere to go. The invaders had blocked the only exit. This made things easy.

As the Watchdog advanced, growling as he tore through the crowd, the Girasol vampire stopped reloading his gun and simply looked on. He knew that the Phantomhive was powerful. He knew that Ciel was unable to be defeated by any ordinary vampire much like the people whom he was slaughtering, and even himself. Yet even with this knowledge, Baldassare had not expected this sort of evolution on the Phantomhive's part. It had been approximately four years since he last saw the watchdog in combat, and the coven leader simply could not fathom how on earth the man became capable of doing all of this. When they had fought, they fought with guns and they fought with arms and legs. Now, the demon was using some sort of dark power.

"_A monster…"_ he uttered, the words absent-mindedly falling past his lips. Was this the same person who could lovingly place a kiss to the forehead of his beloved almost an hour ago? How could this beast do such a thing?

Baldassare was snapped from his thoughts by the sound of gunfire. He dodged, narrowly missing the bullet as it grazed his cheek. He looked from the direction it originated, attempting to stand, only to have his face stepped on and used as a springboard as a figure leaped over him. It uttered a familiar laugh, causing the Girasol vampire to grit his teeth.

"_You son of a bitch!"_ he shouted, turning and firing toward the exit, only to have his foe evade him.

It was Gary. He confirmed it when the vampire mockingly stuck his head back through the door to show him his tongue. Baldassare fired a second round, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he missed. His feet moved him forward several paces before he heard another gunshot and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Grunting, he stumbled, catching himself before he hit the ground and leaping out of the way with the third shot fired at his back. When he turned, he found himself glaring down the barrel of another general of Gentleman, Elam Paul, dressed in a new suit similar to his previous one.

"Not so tough now, are ya,_ Baby-Face?"_

* * *

**A/N: Hon hon hon...  
**

**Gettin' into some action... Sort of? We'll get to the good fight scenes in a bit, yeah.**

**Seems like a lot of _"Baldassare realising that he probably shouldn't have talked all that shit"_**

**Question?**

_**"Mistress Ducky, do you think that you might do a modern Book of Circus arc for the devilish duo? -" by AuraHeart**_

**I dunno. Prolly not though. Don't really know how that would work...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Questions: **"So Kris, how long did it take for you to make that suit? So Sebastian, does Grell ever come over when every one is away?"** by AuraHeart  
_

_Kristopherson's Answer: "It didn't. I didn't have time to make anything, so it's store-bought. At least they paid for it and not me... I only put the outfit together."_

_Sebastian's Answer: "No. And I prefer to keep it that way."_

_0000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"So Audrey, whatcha been up to? Audrey, your obviously my favorite person but how r u two, Travis and Preston?"** by SingingFreak648_

_Audrey's Answer: __"Oh. I've just been working. I've also been spending a lot of the time down at th__e research department. Miranda is very excited to be examining a reaper, apparently."_

_Travis' Answer: __"I've been trying to write a book, but I'm still working on panning out the plot and stuff. I've been __using Ciel and Alois as a bit of inspiration, actually. They say they're fine with it, though."_

_Preston's Answer:_**_ *Still Missing __Out of Commission*_**

_000000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Alois, is Ciel cute when he tries to keep kisses chaste?"** by RapunzelInTheSnow_

_Alois' Answer:__"Most of our kisses are like that, actually. Lots of really quick pecks on the cheeks or forehead or lips... Don't get me wrong, I really do love snogging with him, but little things like that... I dunno, they just make me really happy. Uh, it's kind of embarrassing, but I guess it makes me feel a bit... special? Ciel's just really sweet and... Ugh! I fuckin' love that blue jerkface! Why's he so cute?! Makes me stupid!"  
_


	36. Roulette

"_Not so tough now, are ya, Baby-Face?"_ questioned the general, smirking at Baldassare as he aimed his gun. His expression changed into a scowl, however, as the Girasol vampire grinned.

"Pfft! You're not so _bright_." Snarked Baldassare, holding his arms out as if he were welcoming the other man into an embrace. The bullet that had entered his shoulder fell to the floor behind him as his wound sealed itself shut. He smiled a haughty, tooth-filled grin as he held his nose high into the air and looked down on his foe. "Y'know, if you were smart enough to use the _right bullets_, I'd be pretty fuckin' scared! C'mon, Pauly! Gimme yer best shot!"

Elam's eyes widened, realizing his mistake. He had been playing in the Russian Roulette tournament, and the rules clearly state that no anti-freak bullets were allowed. It would be a shame if one of their valued guests were to accidentally die, after all. He knew, for a fact, however, that Baldassare's personal revolver _always_ came with deadly bullets.

"Let's play a game." Baldassare suggested. "You like Russian Roulette, right? This time, though, it's all or nothing. We use _my_ gun."

"Are you fucking crazy?!" the Gentleman demanded. "Why the fuck would you want that?!"

"Pauly…" began the other man. "Pauly, Pauly, Pauly, _Pauly… _You just don't get it. Not everyone gets to _choose_ to be a vampire, y'know. I've been trying to finish myself off for years, since nobody else apparently can. Still, when it comes to drawin' the curtain for real, I just can't seem to do it myself." Baldassare spun the barrel of the revolver before pointing the barrel at the side of his head.

"You've just given me an excuse." He added, putting pressure on the trigger. He didn't even flinch as the hammer pulled back and he heard a _click. _Baldassare then proceeded to point the gun at the other man. His foe put his hands up and took a step back in order to retreat, jumping as the coven leader pulled the trigger.

_Click!_

"That's two down. Four to go." Spoke the Girasol vampire. Placing the gun back to his own head.

"Stop fucking around!" shouted Elam, puffing himself up to seem threatening. Nevertheless, he still flinched at the sound of the click from the other vampire pulling the trigger.

_"Three_…" Baldassare counted, pointing the gun back toward Elam, a grin spreading across his face as the man yelped and placed his hands over his head at the sound of the click. "_Four_… Two left, Paul. Which will it be? Me? Or you?"

This time Baldassare hesitated. He didn't place any pressure on the trigger right away. This could be it. This time, he closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, biting his lip as his hand shook. The pounding of his heart in his chest boomed in his ears as he braced himself for what was to come. This was just an excuse to go through with it, right? If he lived another day, so be it, if he didn't, would he care? No. If he was dead, he wouldn't, now would he? With that thought, Baldassare finally started to add pressure on the trigger.

_ BANG!_

A gunshot rang through the large room and blood splattered over the cushions of the nearby seats and pooled beneath the body that fell to the floor with a loud _thud._ Yet there was something peculiar about the sound that was somewhat off-putting. Baldassare was still standing. Slowly, the Girasol vampire cracked open an eye, widening both of them and unconsciously lowering his weapon at the scene.

His foe was dead and across the room stood a demon with a sword in one hand, and a gun in the other. It was pointed where the other vampire stood, leaving Baldassare the last vampire still standing. The room was silent. The only ones left were Baldassare, the victims in cages, and the demon. Ciel lowered his gun before making his way toward Baldassare.

The Girasol vampire was frightened. As the demon closed in on him, his body tensed and his eyes clenched shut. To his surprise, however, the Phantomhive simply slapped the gun out of his hand. It clattered against the floor and Baldassare looked up, confused.

"_Don't do that again."_ Ciel sternly instructed, his expression serious. "I'm not sure if you knew this: but you're basically the only person who keeps the special zone standing. If you go, then everyone in it will suffer."

Baldassare was silent for a long time before he spoke again. How could he forget? He did care about the people in the Glen, but he also cared about himself. Could someone who is trapped in the form of a child ever be taken seriously? Even when he took potions to change his face, he would still always turn back.

Like he had said, vampirism wasn't always a choice. He didn't choose to have his family torn from him and to be doomed to walk the earth at night for all eternity and feed off of the life-force of others. Who would choose that? The ten-year-old human Baldassare certainly didn't. He missed being able to taste sweets and he missed the sun. What was once delicious now only tastes like ash, and what was once warm, gentle rays have become blistering and painful. Baldassare wanted them back. He wanted to grow up. The very name of his coven, "_Girasol_"-, _"Sunflower",_ was in part because of this wish. It was impossible now, though. When one is incapable of moving forward, or even moving back, what hope is there?

"_You wouldn't understand…"_ he muttered, furrowing his brow as he looked away.

"Maybe I don't." Ciel said. "That doesn't change the fact that people are counting on you. I _know _that '_forever_' is terrifying. I _know_ how losing your humanity is. I've wasted a hundred years worrying about it, after all. When I dared to pursue happiness instead, however, my blackened world became a much brighter place._ Don't _do that again. There are many whose worlds would be much darker if you did."

"Are you trying to _guilt_ me?"

"Not sure. Is it working?" asked the Phantomhive. The man leaned closer, getting almost directly in the vampire's face. "Who provided the funding for Sister Dorothy to repair the church so she could provide both church services, and provide education to the community? You did. You didn't have to, but you did. Who keeps the majority of London's vampires off of the streets and out of trouble? You do. Who decided to cooperate with this mission in order to keep H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. from raiding the Glen? You did. It was all you, and should you disappear, it would all fall apart. You can keep up that tough act of yours all you like, but you _do_ have a heart. Your despair is _proof_ of that."

With that, the Phantomhive stepped back again, sheathing his weapon and leaving the Girasol vampire with widened eyes and mouth agape. Ciel turned and headed toward the stage, flames surrounding him as he walked, returning him back to his usual appearance. How could this be? The Watchdog, the boogeyman that frightened everyone from children to the most hardened of criminals in the supernatural world, who could viciously slaughter and entire auditorium of vampires without much trouble, had expressed concern for both Baldassare and the special zone? How could this person be the same monster? It simply made no sense whatsoever.

Ciel hopped up onto the stage walking straight up to one of the cages. The humans inside understandably cowered, especially the ones who had been so bold as to look up from their hands and witness the display that the demon had just presented. Others only heard the noise, followed by the silence and the stern whispers of the bluenette before hearing his shoes pad against the floor of the stage. They drew closer and closer until they finally stopped.

"Don't worry, we're here to get you out of here." The Phantomhive stated in a calm voice, trying to sound comforting. His words did no good as the humans still quaked in fear, pressing further and further away from him and into the back of the cage. Ciel uttered a sigh before pulling out his cell phone.

He couldn't contact the rest of his squad, as Brasher possessed the radio. Perhaps splitting up wasn't such a good idea after all. Even though he didn't want to do it, and even though it went against orders, Ciel had no choice. He dialed a number before placing the device up to his ear.

"_Hey, Jim? It's me…"_

* * *

**A/N: 'Sup, dawgs?  
**

**To be entirely honest, I don't really like this chapter. I feel like I didn't handle this very well, or I didn't use enough detail or something. **

**It just seems... off...**

**Ah, well, it's 2 A.M. and school starts Monday, so I wanna be updating like a motherfucker.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	37. Don't Fall

A mischievous smirk appeared on the face of a certain blonde gentleman as he stood outside in the autumn air, listening to the voice that spoke to him through the small box placed up against his ear. Did his beau not tell him that he was _not_ to participate? He did, and Alois was going to rub it in. Now was not the time, though. There were people to save and right now, he was the one who their salvation depended on at the moment.

Upon ending the call, the blonde put his phone away before replacing it with the radio in its spot against the menace's ear. Alois followed Ciel's given instructions, informing Alpha team of the situation and alerting some of the back-up soldiers that he needed their assistance. With that, he made sure that his doors were adequately sealed shut before running off to the side of the building to join Gamma Squad.

Huckabee and Denzil were waiting along with a few other soldiers from Echo team were waiting for him. When he jogged up to them, however, a few of the Echo soldiers pointed their weapons at him, immediately causing him to freeze and put his hands up. He was surprised by the action, but fortunately, Huckabee spoke up for him.

"Wait! He's one of ours!" the man shouted, holding an arm out to act as a barrier between Alois and the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers. "That's 'Leo'! Don't shoot!"

The blonde uttered a sigh of relief once his allies lowered their guns. He supposed that it was a rational response. They were instructed to shoot whatever came through that door, and no one else was supposed to be in the area. Perhaps he should start wearing a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. uniform while on these big operations? When that was cleared up, he put his hands back down before walking over to Huckabee.

"Thanks, mate." He said, putting a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Don't mention it." Huckabee replied. He nudged his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose before asking: "So what do we do?"

"I'm going to lead you guys to Ciel." Answered Alois. "I can sense him, so it'll be easier than using a map. We're going to go in, and I'm going to seal the door behind us. Then we're going to find Ciel, get the captives, lead them safely out through the front, and then escort them to the truck. Super-easy."

"Sounds like a plan." Huckabee stated. "Lead the way, sir." Alois grinned at being called "Sir". Thus, he turned his attention toward the rest of the soldiers.

"You lot got that?" he questioned. "I'm agent Jim Macken, assistant to Sir Ciel Phantomhive and agent of the Round Table Conference! We're gonna follow this plan, alright?"

"_Yes, sir!"_ the soldiers answered, causing the menace to become practically giddy. He had a huge grin on his face when he gave the order:

"Let's move out!"

The soldiers filed into the building with Alois at the rear, and once they were all inside, the blonde sealed the door. He could still manipulate the roots while indoors. His eyes glowed crimson and the sound of cracking concrete could be heard from outside. Once he thought he was successful, he double-checked it by shoving the door. It held, so he gave his team a nod before heading toward the front of the group to lead them to the Phantomhive.

It was dark. It seemed as though the power went out, so the humans in the group put on their night-vision goggles. Alois was fine without them, his eyes glowing through the darkness. Clear as day, he could see the bodies of dead vampires littering the floor, the blood stains and bullet holes in the floors, walls, and even the ceiling. Somehow, it didn't bother him anymore. The time he fought in Castle Krampus was far worse. Part of him was somewhat worried about the fact that he wasn't fazed, but to the rest of him, this was normal. His definitions of "normal", however, seem to be constantly changing.

His thoughts came to a screeching halt, as did his feet. The soldiers behind him stopped as well as he listened intently, furrowing his brow. Footsteps. Lots of them.

"What is it?" asked Denzil.

"We've got company." Alois replied, reaching into his coat and pulling out his gun. "Shields up! Prepare for combat!"

Just like that, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers raised their bulletproof shields into position. It was best to keep the vampires at a distance, showering them with a hail of bullets, however, sometimes they would make it past, so it was best to have a barrier between them just in case. Furthermore, Baldassare warned that they may be armed, and unlike the blonde menace, humans were not as sturdy, and could die from being shot with an ordinary bullet.

"Sir, please step back. We don't want to accidentally hit you, too." Said one of the soldiers.

"Oh, right. My bad." The blonde replied, leaping over the wall of men and women that his team has made and taking refuge behind them. Although he could probably take on this horde himself, he wasn't going to run the risk of dying. He had already done so once and it was an event that he would like to avoid repeating.

The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. troops raised their shields and stuck their guns through the gaps of their barrier before opening fire. Vampires fell in heaps as casings landed at the feet of the squad. When that didn't work, Gentlemen's forces backed off momentarily before knocking tables and whatever else they could over to create a barrier of their own. Some piled the bodies of the fallen on top of each other and hid behind them, seeing as though some the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. weapons seemed strong enough to pierce wood. With their own guns, they returned fire; their projectiles bouncing off the other side's shields. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was still winning. This would be over in only a few minutes.

When the last vampire landed on the ground with a thud, the team advanced, falling out of their lined formation for better maneuverability. Alois proceeded to take the helm and lead the way toward the Phantomhive demon, kicking the stack of bodies over so the soldiers could make it through the hallway. He was also sure to match his pace to theirs, as well. They were humans, after all, and were weighed down with lots of heavy equipment.

Ciel was getting closer; the blonde could tell. He rounded a corner and made it to the theater where the bluenette was still waiting and opened the door. With the other soldiers he stormed in, only to find a massive amount of bodies surrounding one stage. Ciel and Baldassare still stood casually on it with the captives, who simply wouldn't come out of their cages.

Why wouldn't they? They were terrified. Even the hardened soldiers were frightened of just the aftermath, so goodness knows what they must be feeling. All of this destruction was done by two people, or rather, just one. Ciel lit up somewhat when he saw the blonde as the menace and the team made their way toward the stage. Alois simply hopped up on top of it to join him while the soldiers had to either climb or use the steps.

"Hey, baby." The blonde greeted with a grin. "Looks like you weren't able to follow Integra's instructions, after all."

"Don't even try it." His beau replied, reaching out a hand so that he could pinch the menace's cheek. "You're going back with them, and that's final."

"Uuuugh!" complained the menace, wiggling free of the Phantomhive's grasp in order to nudge the man's shoulder with his forehead. "That's so not fair!"

"Sorry." Ciel stated, bringing the same hand up to pet the Macken's hair. "You're so clingy…" he added teasingly.

"It's not my fault. I just have a lust for attention." Answered Alois. "Hugs and kisses fuel me."

"Is that so? Shouldn't you be using that energy to help those guys tend to the victims?"

"Don't wanna…"

"Now, if you can't do that much, than how are you ever to be trusted with continuing the infiltration?" asked the bluenette. The blonde pulled away with a pout.

"_Fiiiiinnnee…"_ he whined, leaning back in to kiss the other man on the cheek before turning to walk away. He wasn't even sure if the captives would trust him especially now that they had seen him being familiar with Ciel. The problem was that he simply didn't know how to help out.

The other agents were talking to the victims, assessing the damage and trying to persuade them to come out of the cage. Alois didn't know how to do any of that. He was sort of tempted to just start pulling people out, but he was somewhat afraid of making things worse. His beau simply chuckled at the confused faces he was making as he fretted over it. That is, until there was a voice over the radio.

"This is Alpha. We've found the rest of the captives. We're moving them to safety." Said Harland.

"Roger that, Alpha. This is Gamma. We're having a little trouble on our end." Answered Huckabee. "We should be out after you."

"We'll come back after dropping off the victims for a final sweep." Spoke the woman's voice. "If you're still having trouble, we'll help you out."

It wasn't necessary, however. Eventually, the soldiers were able to coax the captives into cooperation. One by one, the people crawled out and stood up, a little wobbly at first, and were helped off of the stage and out the door by the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives. The blonde menace waved to his partner, playfully blowing a kiss before following them. He would cooperate as well, for now.

Reluctantly, he tagged behind the squad as they headed toward the front door. Huckabee radioed Beta squad of this so they wouldn't fire at them by mistake. This seemed like it would be over in a few more hours. That was sort of a relief. Alois was starting to get restless…

…_Wait, that wasn't restlessness._

"Prepare for combat!" he shouted. "They're attacking from the rear! Form a barrier in front of the captives!"

Wordlessly, the soldiers did just that. The captives cowered and some of the screamed. Alois took cover behind the barrier with them. He tried his best to keep them calm, he really did, but that effort was somewhat in vain. It worked on some, but for others, not so much. The guns went off, mowing down more of the undead. This batch was apparently unarmed, as they fell pretty quickly. Even still, they had their surprises.

Alois had been so caught up in trying to keep the peace with the captives that he didn't sense what was in the vents above them. Out slinked a certain serpent by the name of "Gary", falling down right on top of one of the soldiers as the smoke began to clear. The young man who fell prey to him uttered a scream as Gary's fangs pierced his neck.

_ "Denzil!"_ shouted Huckabee, turning and pointing his gun. Immediately, the vampire released his comrade and dodged, forcing the poor member of Echo to fall to the floor. He was still conscious, but he wasn't well off.

"_Wait don't shoo-!"_ The blonde winced as the gun went off, feeling sharp pain in his shoulder. His eyes and Huckabee's widened.

Alois didn't remember bullets being this painful. As it registered, the menace uttered a grunt and grit his teeth, clasping at the injury and leaning against the wall. The wound burned and the blood around it boiled for a few moments. It would have continued to do so, had there not been an exit wound as well. The bullet went straight through the Macken and embedded itself into the wall. Now Alois understood why it took several days for Ciel to recover from his fight at the castle.

The captives screamed, even the ones who were relatively calm, as the Gentlemen general leaped away. He made eye-contact with the demon momentarily, smirking at the menace's glare. Then, just like that he sprinted away, having caused his chaos.

Finally, the dust cleared and the vampires had fallen, all but the one that successfully bit one of the members of the squad. Denzil was bitten. Now, the soldiers had a problem. The young man, who couldn't be any older than nineteen, was coughing and wheezing as he grasped at his bleeding neck, terrified out of his mind as he tried to process what had just happened. Not only this, but their demonic escort had been shot with an anti-freak bullet. It missed both his head and his heart, so it certainly wasn't fatal. It did, however, _hurt_.

"What do we do?" asked one of the soldiers. "We can't leave him like this…"

"Was he a virgin?" questioned another. "Maybe we can save him? He could join the supernatural division."

"Can't. That vampire was a bloke." Said one more. "He's gonna be a _ghoul."_

Upon registering these words, tears formed in the man's eyes. Denzil pressed his face into the floor so that no one could see. Without one single doubt, Denzil was a deadman. Now his comrades had two options; they could leave him, allowing him to turn into a ghoul for the other team to take care of in the final sweep, or they could do what was standard protocol, and kill him _now._

It was considered an act of mercy by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. For one's body to roam mindlessly and devour the flesh of his fellow humans was a cruel fate. Either way, Denzil would die, but the question was: would he die a human, or a monster?

"We could let him go on his own." One soldier suggested. "Just leave him for Alpha squad to take care of?"

"No! We can't do that!" protested Huckabee. "Captain Harland is on that squad! Do you want her to have to go through the same thing _twice!?"_

To that, the soldiers all looked down. That would be cruel. Captain Harland almost quit her work with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. after her teammate; her husband, was bitten by a vampire. Supposedly, he had begged her in his final moments to give him "mercy" before he could become a ghoul. No one knew what killing a teammate a second time would do to her. So it would have to be one of them to pull the trigger.

"_I'll stay with him."_ Alois said. "I need a minute or two to regenerate, anyway. You guys get the victims to safety."

"Are you sure?" asked one of the troops.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it." The blonde replied, standing up from the wall and straightening his back. He winced as pain shot through his shoulder again and as the wound continued to burn. "I'll take care of him."

Some of the men were wary. Alois was a demon, after all. Perhaps he simply wanted to swoop in and steal a soul while no one was looking? Sir Integra seemed to trust him, though, so perhaps not. Regardless, they had to act quickly, for the captives were getting restless.

"Alright." Said Huckabee, struggling to keep his voice calm. "We'll go, then. Take really good care of him, alright."

"I will." Alois answered, watching as the other man struggled. He waited for Huckabee to say "goodbye" to his friend and for the others to leave. With that, he slid down the wall, grunting as his bottom his the floor. This gunshot-wound stuff was painful. Anti-freak bullets were no joke.

He looked over at the man who was currently lying face down on the ground in front of him. Alois did feel sorry for him. Had he been paying attention, he could have prevented this. He scooted over toward Denzil, observing him a while longer but saying nothing. What could he say? This man was dying. Along with the pain in his shoulder, a pang of guilt ran through him as he witnessed his comrade trying to hide his sobs.

"It's okay to cry, you know." Alois said finally. "You've got everything to cry about, right now. Hell, _I_ cried right up until I was killed."

Moments passed as Denzil continued to sob. Eventually, however, he was able to choke out: "I-I don't… want… to… d-die…" He inhaled sharply with every word.

"Few people do…" the menace answered, reaching a hand out and rubbing Denzil's back soothingly. His voice was soft as he spoke. "You'll be okay, though. I'm a demon. I know what happens when you die. Let me tell ya, unless you've done something_ really_ fucked up, you're not gonna end up like me."

"Y-you're not gonna shoot me?"

"Well, I _have_ to, eventually. Sorry. I'll let you decide when, though. I can shoot you now, or we can wait a bit. I think that's only fair."

Denzil sniffled. "Wait a little longer…"

"Okay then." Alois replied. "That's what we'll do."

The demon stayed with the soldier, continuing to rub his back and keeping his promise. His comrade never told him when it was alright to shoot, however. The wound to the man's neck bled out quickly. His heart stopped beating and his breathing came to a halt. He was completely still, now. It would only be a few more moment until he started moving again, though.

Alois stopped rubbing the man's back and tilted Denzil's head to the side. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would without a doubt come back for his body, so he probably shouldn't blow a hole in his face. With that, the demon stood up, grunting at his shoulder again before reaching for his gun. With that, he pointed the barrel at the side of the soldier's head.

"Sorry…" he said softly.

_BANG!_

* * *

**A/N: So close to 3,000 words on that one...  
**

**Kinda gloomy...**

**Goddammit, Gary.**

**If all goes well, tomorrow, I'll be starting school. If it doesn't, then due to a screwup on their end, I might not be going and have to re-enroll for Spring.  
**

**So, depending on that, I might or might not slow down with updating again. **

**We'll see.**

**Question?**

_**"Hey Hate, what word processer do you use? Can i maybe get a link to download it(perhaps for free)? Plx and Thx." by Guest**_

**Just Microsoft Word. The 2013 version?**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Luka! What do you think of Moltres and Articuno?"** by RapunzelInTheSnow  
_

_Luka's Answer: "Articuno looks like if Ciel was a bird, and Moltres makes me want chicken nuggets."_

_000000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Question for Baldassare: What were you feeling after Ciel said those things to you about how the special zone needs you and all that?"** by Gracie Sutcliff1124_

_Baldassare's Answer: __"Tch. __None of yer goddamn business..."_


	38. This Is Your Captain Speaking

_ "Beta Squad, this is Alpha Squad."_ Addressed Captain Harland speaking through the radio. "The first batch of captives have been secured. We're coming at you from the front entrance. Let us through."

"Alpha, this is Beta. Roger that." Answered a voice on the other side of the speaker.

As Harland and her team made it to the front entrance, light shined through the glass doors, illuminating the decimated remains of the lobby. Blood stained tile and carpet littered with corpses became clear in what was once a dark room as the power was shut off. Some of the captives screamed as what they were walking in came to light, only to be reassured by the soldiers that they were going to be safe.

"You're alright." Said Charlotte. "You're almost out of here. Promise."

Harland stepped out first, prompting Beta Squad to lower their guns. Some of them turned the safety on and came to assist the victims, helping them walk toward the transport truck. They would all be rushed to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters for medical treatment immediately. One by one, they filed in with their tattered clothes and tired, frightened faces. Children and teens were given first aid on the spot; the youngest of the group being only eight years old. While most of them only sustained minor injuries and from slight malnutrition, all of them would need serious counseling. As the soldiers closed the back doors on the truck, Harland shook her head.

_"Damn it_…" she muttered under her breath with a scowl. Her squad simply watched her for a moment as she recomposed herself.

"Alpha Squad: get ready to go back in for a final sweep!" she instructed. "Fifteen minutes!"

"Yes ma'am!" her team answered, scattering momentarily in order to get ready.

They restocked their ammunition supply and checked their weapons. Amelie took off her belt to put more shotgun shells in its holsters and Charlotte reloaded the magazines for her Hellsing ARMS Anti-Midian rifle. It was standard issue for soldiers who could handle the recoil. Not even Brasher, the brawniest of their group carried one around.

"Ow!" shouted Amelie, putting her gun down and grasping at her finger. When she looked at it again, she discovered that there was a hole in her glove. Now, given the fact that she werewolf, she had to wear gloves at all times when using H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. weapons, especially given the fact that her weapon of choice just so happened to require her to touch individual bullet; all of which were coated with silver.

The girl took off her glove and looked at the injury. The tip of her finger was reddened with a light burn. Out of habit, she found herself licking at it prompting the attention of her vampiric companion. Charlotte reached into one of the pockets on her shirt, pulling out some medical tape.

"Here." She said, holding out a hand, which Amelie took without question. Once she had it, Charlotte began wrapping the other girl's finger before tearing the tape and finishing it up, placing a small kiss on the injury and causing a small blush to appear on Amelie's face.

"Thanks." Said the lycanthrope.

"No problem. You can use my gloves, if you want." Answered Charlotte.

"Non, your hands are too big." Her girlfriend replied. She simply put her gloves back on, carefully picking the shell up again. "The tape keeps it from touching me." Amelie added before putting it in her gun.

"Okay. Just be careful." The vampire answered. "We'll need to get you another pair when we get back."

"Hope I don't forget…"

"Alright people! Time to rock 'n roll! Alpha Squad, we're going in for a final sweep!" called Harland, gaining the attention of her team. The vampire, werewolf, and Grant and Brasher all followed her toward the door, only to stop when it opened. All soldiers pointed their guns, only to see Huckabee standing there, holding his hands up.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" he shouted. "We've got the rest of the captives!"

"Get them to transport!" instructed the captain. "Treat the kids and get them out of here!"

"Yes ma'am!" answered Huckabee, leading both his team and the victims safely out of the building. At least, most of them. As she watched them file out, Harland's eyes narrowed.

"Where's Denzil and blondie?" she asked, part of her already knowing the answer. Huckabee froze momentarily, glancing back at her. He then ushered for the others in his team to go on while he addressed his captain.

"W-well, y'see…" He began. "Denzil… Denzil is…"

"_He's dead, isn't he?" _

"Yes, ma'am…" the man answered, lowering his head. There was a hint of sadness in the woman's voice, almost distracting him from the fact that his own shook. Silence ensued before Harland took a deep breath.

"And the demon?" she asked, finally.

"Agent Macken volunteered to stay with him." Huckabee replied. "He was accidentally shot in the shoulder with one of our rounds, and needed to regenerate. He said he'd take care of Denzil… He was bitten by a vampire…"

"You had the demon keep Denzil from becoming a ghoul?"

"Y-yes, ma'am…"

"I see…" the captain trailed off, her eyes lazily wandering toward the entrance of the theater again. A heavy silence ensued as she thought for a moment. Eventually, a sigh escaped her lips.

"I suppose we'll have to go get him…" she said, raising her weapon before turning to her squad. "This mission isn't over yet!" she declared. "We've still got to sweep the place clean, and recover Denzil's remains. Let's move!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Alpha squad replied. The troops stormed back into the building, their boots thumping against the floor as they did so. Even if they were almost done, and even though they were greeted with unfortunate news, they still had a job to do. They were H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and they were to search and destroy.

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, I haven't written a chapter that was only in the triple-digit word-count in a while... **

**I just couldn't think of anything else. **

**It's late and I'm not running on a lot of sleep, y'see...**

**Probably affected the quality of the chapter, too, but oh, well...**

**This whole "going to school" thing kinda sucks, y'know?**

**Question?**

_**"YET HATE-SEMPAII! Do you think a DLT Tumblr blog could ever be reality? I think that would be amazing" by Auraheart**_

**Possibly. At the moment, that's kinda my tumblr, I guess? Eh, if somebody wants to get on that then by all means... We've already got RPers on Tumblr and stuff as well...  
**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Question for Alois- I remembered that you said you don't like to read because it's boring, and didn't have enough pictures and things like that, but my question is, have you ever tried manga?"** by BlazeingEcho  
_

_Alois' Answer: "I have no idea what that is..."_

_000000000000000000_

_Question: **"And to Revy: There someone you like yet?"** ChiraSomes_

_Revy's Answer: "Not really. I don't really care about that stuff."_

_00000000000000000000_

_Question: **"For anyone that knows: do demons still grow? As in, can they get taller, gain/loose weight, or anything like that?"** by Guest_

_Miranda's Answer: __"WELL__, demons really don't grow, age, or any of that. If they want to, they would have to shape-shift, which is what Ciel and Alois do. They're currently taking on the form of young adults, approximately in the age 18-20 range. (Pretty sure Ciel is trying to be taller than Alois. I'm not sure if Alois has noticed yet though. Sir Phantomhive is pretty sneaky.) Sebastian doesn't do this, and has not changed physically in the slightest since recording began._

_ Right now, however, we know that Luka **does** age and such. We theorize that it's due to the fact that he has yet to consume a human soul. We've been monitoring his growth very closely, and it would appear that as time goes on he starts to grow taller, and his horns grow as well. He's starting to develop a tail, too. It's really stubby and cute right now! He currently looks to be around ten years of age, and his mental development matches this in return. He's really like an ordinary human child except for a few anatomical differences. He also seems to be lacking in socialization with other children. We hope to somehow fix this in the future, but it's difficult to arrange, for obvious reasons..."_


	39. Nothing Personal

A hiss escaped the fair-haired demon as he clutched at his wounded shoulder. It was starting to scab, but it was still fair from healed and it burned like he had been stabbed with a hot piece of metal. While it was only his shoulder, it did affect how well he moved around. He furrowed his brow at the fact, knowing that Ciel had fought a dragon while suffering multiple burning stab wounds from a blessed blade. Surely Alois could do the same.

Thus, he straightened his back, immediately regretting the action as pain shot through him again. He needed to find the vampire that bit Denzil and finish him off. Alpha team could have taken care of it, but Alois was the one who had to put a bullet in the young man's head, a fact that he did not like. In a way, it was revenge. It didn't matter that Alois barely knew the soldier; he was an agent of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. If he has to shoot a fellow agent for any reason, he can get in major trouble with the Round Table.

Unfortunately, he had conveniently forgotten about the order that Sir Integra had given him. He wasn't supposed to be there. He was supposed to be stationed at the back of the building as planned, yet that is not what he wanted to do. It didn't feel like the correct course of action for him to take. Thus, he instead searched for the vampire that killed Denzil, as he personally felt as though it was what he needed to be doing.

Every time he shifted his weight to take another step, pain shot through his shoulder, yet he pressed onward. After all, if Ciel could do it, then so could he. Alois tried to distract himself from the burning sensation that he was experiencing, even as the wound began to close, by focusing on his sixth sense. He could tell where the vampire was and knew that he was going to attack.

When Gary dropped from the ceiling to perform a similar attack to the one he did before, Alois leaped back, evading his foe before whipping out his weapon. The icy blue eyes of the menace widened, however, when he aimed his weapon only to find that the vampire had aimed a gun at him as well. Instinctively, he moved his head, only to have the barrel of Gary's pistol up against his jaw while Alois' own Kaspar was pointed at his foe's forehead.

Seconds flew by and the two stayed that way before they mutually decided to move, separating themselves while firing a few shots. To his dismay, the demon was slightly slower than usual, hindering his ability to dodge, somewhat. Even with this, he managed to get out of the vampires line of fire, hiding around a corner while Gary kicked over a table to seek refuge behind. Both sides took this as an opportunity to reload their weapons before firing again.

Alois shot first, his bullet piercing the surface of the vampire's barrier. His gun was designed to have greater firepower than that of anything an ordinary human could handle. With a scowl, Gary fired back, and kept firing as he sprang up from behind the table and began to charge at the demon, his speed and agility keeping him from his potential death. To turn the corner, Gary put one foot on the wall where the two hallways intersected and pushed off, sending himself hurling at the menace. When the demon tried to avoid him, he winced at the pain in his shoulder, giving his opponent an opportunity.

Gary crashed into the Macken, sending both of them to the floor. The vampire straddled Alois' hips, and when Alois tried to aim his gun at him, he simply locked the man's wrist underneath his armpit, holding his arm in place with his own so the menace couldn't shoot. Gary's eyes scanned over the menace briefly before locking onto the demon's injury. With that, he aimed his weapon, placing the end of the barrel directly over Alois' shoulder. The blonde's eyes widened and he clutched at the other man's forearm with his free hand and tried to move it away. It was too late though.

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Thank God they were ordinary bullets. If they weren't, the pain that Alois experienced would have been infinitely worse. A scream slipped past the blonde's lips as the vampire completely emptied his magazine into his already wounded shoulder. Although he tried to crush Gary's arm, the blonde's own had now been rendered completely useless, for the time being.

With own gun now empty, Gary tried to wrestle Alois' from his hand; forming a wicked grin with his scarred lips. There was no way Alois could let that happen. The bullets in it could kill him! He tightened his grip on the handle, refusing to let go, despite his current troubles. He desperately needed his other arm! Once again, he had to resort to the same thing he had done before when pinned down by a supernatural opponent. He leaned upwards, and bit down as hard as he could into his foe's arm.

"OW!" Gary shouted in a whiny tone before releasing the blonde and clutching at his arm. Then he found himself being struck over the head with the butt of the blonde's gun. Alois then used this chance to force the other man off of him, punching him in the face with the unusual guard on the handle of his weapon, forcing him backwards enough so that Alois could free his legs and kick him.

Once they had went their own ways, Alois scrambled to stand himself up, ignoring the now excruciating pain in his shoulder. His arm now twitched as he tried to move it; blood dripping down his fingers. He pointed the Kaspar at the vampire while Gary struggled to reload his own weapon. Eventually, the Gentlemen General decided that ducking and covering was a better option than staying put. He hid around the corner while he loaded another magazine.

"Bastard…" he hissed. "_I'm_ supposed to be the one hurting _you!_"

"Sorry, pal, I ain't into that shit!" Alois retorted, appearing before the other man and shoving his gun in Gary's face. The triggered was pulled, hitting nothing but wall as the vampire scrambled to get away. His foe then turned around to open fire again.

"That's the point!" Gary shouted. "It wouldn't be any fun if you liked it!"

Alois ducked behind the wall again, dodging the bullets before unleashing his own. "That's disgusting!"

"You're disgusting!" barked the vampire. He took shelter behind the table once again. "What even are you, anyway?! You sure as hell ain't a vampire!"

"I'm a demon!" the blonde shouted back. "My name's Alois, I enjoy long walks on the beach, and am currently in a serious relationship with Satan!"

"Congrats!" Gary replied, dodging as a few bullets made it through the table. "My name's Gary! I'm a vampire! I like cuddling by the fireplace and am currently single!"

"Are you flirting with me?!"

"Fuck no!"

"Good! 'Cause I'm not looking for a side chick!" Alois declared, before taking a moment to catch his breath. He didn't let the other man out of his sights, but he needed his other arm to reload. What could he do? Unless he could fabricate a third hand, he was out of luck!

"_Oh, wait…_ " he quietly said aloud to himself. Following the thought, his blonde, monkey-like tail appeared from underneath his coat. He swished it back and forth briefly in order to stretch it before reaching it into his inner coat pocket and wrapping it around another magazine. Carefully, he flicked it upwards, using it to change the magazine in his pistol. A silly grin appeared on his face as he succeeded, feeling very pleased with himself.

After completing that task, the spare appendage vanished, and he focused on healing his wound. Depending on the size of the injury inflicted, a wound made with an anti-freak weapon could take several hours to heal, and Alois' was only made bigger when the other man fired off six shots into it. At the same time, however, it was a blessing in disguise. The ordinary bullets had stripped away some of the flesh that had been affected by the blessed bullet, making it easier to heal. With a deep breath, that's what Alois focused most of his energy on in that moment. While he didn't let the vampire out of his sights just yet, he didn't attack, either, much to the confusion of his enemy.

"Hey!" shouted Gary. "You run away?!" The general didn't like this. He couldn't tell if his foe was still there or not, as his pulse was faint. It was barely existent, for that matter, so Gary couldn't tell if the demon was still there, or if he was in the middle of fleeing. Part of him thought it was a trap. The other wanted to go after the menace. His brow furrowed and he grit his teeth, annoyed by not knowing.

"Come out, asshole!" he yelled, jumping over the table and slowly walking toward the spot where the demon was hiding.

"Come on! I wanna play with ya!" he continued. "I've never played with a demon before. If I cut you will you cry? Will it heal back immediately so I can do it again? Hey! Answer me!"

"You're _gross_." Alois called out. "What? Are you into that S&M bullshit? Sick! I already told you, I'm not into that shit."

"And _I_ already told you that I don't give a fuck if you are or not!" Gary replied. "Hurting people who're weaker than me is so fun~! Hey, hey, you've got a pretty face; almost like a girl's! What do you look like when you cry?"

He rounded the corner and aimed his weapon, only to see nothing. The fair-haired demon was nowhere to be found. A growl escaped the vampire as he grimaced, taking a step forward to go after the blonde. It was then, however, that a chill ran down his spine, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. Gary's eyes widened as he felt the presence of something behind him.

"I guess you'll never find out." Alois said. "_You're_ weaker than_ me_."

"There you are, pretty-boy!" Gary declared, spinning around to shoot the demon.

BANG!

A gunshot went off, but Gary hadn't pulled the trigger. His face contorted with pain as he fell to the floor, dropping his gun and pulling his knee close to his chest. He screamed from the shockwave of pain coursing from his joint from the anti-freak bullet that was currently lodged inside of it. There was no exit wound. It was still burning his flesh.

"IT HUUUURTS!" the vampire wailed. "MAKE IT STOOOOP!"

"I'm afraid the only way for me to do that is to kill you." Alois replied. "You can't regenerate that. You'll heal at the same rate of a human, _if _you manage to get the bullet out, that is."

"No, no_, no!_ Don't do that!" Gary insisted. "I was kidding! I wasn't gonna hurt you! Honest!"

"Liar. _You shot me in the shoulder, you piece of shit_. How stupid do you think I am?" the demon asked, looking down at his foe. "You're pretty pitiful, aren't you? Sick and sad. Tell me, did something make you this way, or are you just plain fucked up?"

"I… I was weak as a human…" the vampire answered, pausing to grimace at his wound. "S-so-so I became a vampire! So I wouldn't be weak anymore! I wanted to be the strong one! Just… Just let me go!"

While the words were intended to invoke pity from the menace, it did nothing but ignite anger. He was weak and wanted to become strong? He did that by hurting people? It sounded so familiar. Who begged while he squirmed and felt powerful when he hurt others? Who did that sound like?

Alois didn't know the full story, nor did he know if the boy was telling the truth, but he knew that Gary's words made him angry for some reason. The logic sounded reasonable to him. He understood it too well. There must have been some truth to Gary's words, as he had a scar on his face that didn't heal, as if he had received it while human. Was he telling the truth? Was he lying? Who did he sound like? _Who?_

_ Oh. It was Alois._

The menace snarled at the sight of his wretched self; the one that he had put behind him; the one that was weak. It made him angry because now he wanted to take _pity_ on this person, yet he couldn't. He knew he shouldn't, either. As much as he would love to coddle his former self and tell him that everything would turn out alright, this was not him. It was Gary, and he did not trust him. Part of him wanted to, but he couldn't.

"_I have a job to do_." Alois said, aiming the gun at the vampires head. "Sorry; nothing personal."

_"Wait! Don-"_

_ BANG!_

Alois pulled the trigger before the other male could make him second-guess himself. He had a job to do, regardless of whatever sob-story that the vampire had in store. Thus, Gary's head fell to the floor with the rest of him; his eyes still open with a frightened look permanently plastered across his face. Alois wouldn't fix it, either. He was not a comrade of his. Why should he bother? It wasn't personal, and the blonde had no desire to make it that way.

Even still, for whatever reason, the menace really wanted to see Ciel. At one time, they, too, were not comrades and had to kill one another to complete an objective. The only difference was that it _was indeed_ personal. Yet somehow, when all was said and done, they somehow became what they are now; not only personal, but intimate.

Really, what Alois wanted in that moment was reassurance that what he had just done was the right thing. It kind of embarrassed him. Honestly he thought that he was beyond this occasional need, unaware of its normalcy.

"I wonder if Ciel will get mad if I try to tag along with him?" he asked to himself. After a few moments, he came up with an answer: "_Annoyed, _maybe, but not _mad_. Let's see… He's _this _way…"

* * *

**A/N: _Whelp.._.  
**

**Sorry for not updating as often as usual. I am so tired after school, man...**

**Anyways, I'm kinda disappointed that I didn't get to fit in Gary's back-story, here...**

**It's really not that important, unless maybe I do this one thing...**

**Y'see, I actually debated on making Gary trans, for a bit, but didn't want to inadvertently come across as implying that the transgender community is full of perverts and weirdos or something because of this guy.**

**That _one_ detail, though, could decide the course of a massive chunk of the story...**

**Or at least how soon it comes, and how it does it.**

**Eh, what do you think, duckies? I'm honestly still not knowledgeable enough on the topic to fully know what's sensible, so I'd kinda like some input on that.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	40. We've Already Met

"That idiot…" muttered a certain bluenette as he and his temporary assistant traveled deeper into the theatre.

"What is it?" asked Baldassare.

"Jim hasn't left the building yet." Ciel replied. "I can also sense him getting closer to us. I should have known that he wouldn't actually follow orders."

His eyes narrowed, however, as he sensed something else. His contract was telling him that the blonde was also injured. Now, Ciel knew that the menace could handle himself, but he couldn't help but be worried. The Phantomhive kept his senses sharp, monitoring Alois carefully as he continued onward to complete the mission.

When presented with enemies, he stormed through them, cutting them to ribbons, should they dare to stand in his path. He didn't bother getting to the ones that he missed and only kept pressing forward. The other team would definitely get to the ones that he missed, so he needed to focus his attention to taking out their chain of command. It was then, however, that a thought occurred to him. Alois was following him, and would most likely have to fight them all while injured. Immediately, the bluenette stopped in his tracks, much to the confusion of his vampiric associate.

"What now?!" Baldassare demanded, looking back to see the demon making a strange face. The Girasol coven head stared at the Phantomhive for a few moments with a baffled look before Ciel finally decided to answer him.

"_I'm worried about Jim…"_ he said, putting a hand to his forehead and slumping his shoulders.

"What the hell!? We're almost there! Just kill Brummel and go back for him!" snapped the other man.

"_But what if it takes too long?"_

"Hey! If blondie can kick _my_ ass, then he can handle a few thugs! What's the matter with you?!"

This was annoying. It was almost disgusting to Baldassare, how the Watchdog expressed such concern over and doted on the blonde demon so. It went against everything the vampire knew about the man, after all. Ciel Phantomhive was the devil who punished the wicked, whether they were supernatural or otherwise with brutal force. Baldassare had seen it with his own eyes, after all. Just that night alone, he saw how the demon slaughter all that stood in the way of reaching his goal, yet now, even with all of that, the Watchdog was willing to turn back to confirm the safety of another out of what the man claimed to be "love". A sigh escaped the bluenette's lips before he spoke again.

"You're right…" he said, running his hand through his sweaty, blood-covered hair. "Let's keep going…"

"Whatever…" Baldassare muttered before continuing to lead the demon to Brummel's secret room. He couldn't wait for this night to be over so that he could go home. It was nerve-wrecking simply being on one of these operations, and the fact that H.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the Watchdog were involved only made things _worse_. His coffin was starting to seem like a very inviting idea.

The team continued onward. They were almost there. Al they had to do was round one more corner, and the door would be right there. Two guards stood in front of it, but they both fell with only one swing of the bluenette's blade. His foot then made contact with the door, breaking it right off of its hinges, making the man inside jump.

Brummel's eyes widened at the sight of the two men. Immediately, they fell on Baldassare and narrowed. So it was he who ratted them out to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; even after he went through such lengths to keep the gathering a secret amongst the vampiric community. There was a spy in their midst.

"Baldassare!" he growled, baring his fangs at the Girasol vampire and standing up from his chair. Brummel's hand reached for a radio that sat on the table next to him, only to have the device blown apart by a well-placed bullet from his rival leader. Baldassare clicked his tongue in annoyance before speaking.

"You seriously didn't see this coming?" he asked. "You really think I'd just turn up to one of your fucking disgusting parties for no reason? Did you think I shared your sick-ass '_interests'?_ Are you fucking retarded?"

"Who're you calling '_disgusting'?!_ I'm a Gentleman! How dare you?!" Brummel demanded. "My parties always have the best of the best! How can you call this '_disgusting'?!"_

"You're serious? You don't just kill people, you torture them for sport! You sell them as pets!" Baldassare barked in response. "I may be a killer, but even I know some decency! You think this is _'class'?_ You don't even know what that fucking means!"

"They're just humans." The other coven leader said. "They're livestock. They're for us to _consume_. What does it matter, what we do to them? That's what they're here for, Baldassare! Surely you knew that."

"Don't lump me in with shit like you…" spoke the Girasol vampire. "I ain't trash like you! _'Gentlemen'_!? You've gotta be fucking kidding! You're a bane on everybody's existence and you oughtta just die. No, you're_ gonna_ die."

"And what? Are you going to kill me, Baldassare?" asked Brummel.

"Nah. Not my department." Said Baby-Face. "I'm not the only one here, after all."

The other vampire's eyes then traveled to the bluenette and he arched his eyebrows at the sight of the man. He had never seen this person before, as far as he knew, yet he appeared familiar. The man had an irritable expression plastered across his face and odd, blueish black hair. What was really peculiar, however, was the man's mismatched eyes; one being blue and the other being a light purple that glowed in a most peculiar fashion. This seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. Who was this person? Baldassare smiled at the other vampire's confusion.

"I've introduced you once, this evening, already." He said. "Remember '_Cornelius Wainwright'?_ Yeah. I lied. That's not his real name, or his real identity. He's actually much scarier than that."

The gears began to turn in the head of Jay Brummel, and an expression of sheer terror washed over him. There was no way. It couldn't be. Those were only stories, weren't they? All of the blood in the gentleman's body ran cold as soon as the strange bluenette began to speak.

"Allow me to introduce myself." The demon said. "I am her majesty's _'Guard-Dog', Ciel Phantomhive._ I've been sent to destroy you."

* * *

**A/N: This was supposed to be like, twice as long, but I wanted to post SOMETHING today.  
**

**The rest will have to wait...**

**Sorry...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"For Alois: does Ciel know your ticklish? If so, can you give us the story on how he found out?"** by Guest.  
_

_Alois' Answer: "Uhm... Well... It's a little embarrassing, but we were in the middle of snogging and he rubbed my sides a bit. Depending on how he does it, it can either tickle me, or kinda turn me on. Guess which way he did it that time? Yeah... Once Ciel figured that out, we stopped making out and got into a tickle-fight instead. I lost. I lost miserably..."_


	41. The Devil's Duty

The devil! It was the devil who appeared before Brummel! It was the same devil that rounded up wicked individuals like himself and punished them for their crimes. That is what the Devil does, after all.

Still, that didn't mean that mister Brummel was at all happy about this fate. Here, before him stood someone who wasn't supposed to actually exist, someone who was rumoured to be cruel and unyielding. The look in the demon's mismatched eyes gave away his intentions. There was anger, disgust, and contempt written all over his face.

This vile piece of trash before Ciel dared to take on a humanoid shape and claim to be civilized, when in fact, he was the most brutish and beastly one in the room. He was a monster. Jay Brummel was a monster, one who takes delight in the suffering of others and reducing them to objects for his own amusement. Ciel, too, was at one point an object for monsters like him; only biologically speaking, the monsters where human.

Regardless, it did not matter. It simply did not matter, as Ciel would fulfill his duty, regardless. He was sent here to vanquish threats to humanity, and that is what he would do. He would rid the world of this beast's presence and prevent it from sapping up any more of the earth's resources; from affecting any more lives.

And yet, that didn't seem like a sufficient enough punishment. Monsters become such in order to rid themselves of pain, sadness, and fear. They do it by forcing these things onto others, and take sick delight in doing so. What they do to others is what they fear the most happening to themselves, and the Devil knew this. Part of him wanted to unleash retribution on the vampire in this manner, knowing full-well that it would mean that he, too, would be a monster because of it.

Then again, it was his nature, which he often defied at the same time. He is not a monster, yet he is not a human. He is both and neither at the same time. So, how would he punish this wicked creature before him? The anger that bubbled from within him at the actions of the vampire made it very clear.

"The Watchdog…" Brummel said in disbelief. His legs turned to jelly and he fell back down into his chair, causing a smirk to form on the demon's face.

"Correct." Ciel answered. "And do you know what I, the Watchdog, do to people like you?"

Upon hearing those words, the leader of Gentlemen reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. Instead of a gunshot, however, the only sounds that he emitted was a loud _crunch, _followed by a scream. The pistol fell to the floor as Ciel tightly clasped the man's wrist; his grip crushing it completely.

"That's not the correct answer." The bluenette replied before twisting Brummel's arm as well. "Try again."

"Augh! Stop!" the vampire shouted. "You're hurting me!"

"That's. The. Point!" answered Ciel, suddenly bending the other man's arm until it snapped and yanking it forward so that his foe fell into the floor. He observed Brummel as he clutched at his arm for a few moments, placing a foot on the man's leg when he tried to crawl away.

"Where do you think you're going?" the demon asked. "You can't get away. You're too weak. Tonight, you're going to die in this very room, and there's nothing you can do to stop it, Mister Brummel." With that, he stomped his foot, breaking the vampire's leg as well. His foe let out another yelp before losing his voice momentarily.

"Humans are '_livestock'_ to you, correct?" inquired the bluenette. "Do you know what you are to me? _Filth._ Worthless, loathsome,_ filth_ that must be disposed of. You aren't even good enough to become someone's prey. What does that feel like, Mister Brummel?"

"Please…" the vampire begged. "What do you want? Why are you doing this? For the humans? Is it for the humans?"

"No." Ciel stated. "If it were just for them, I would have cut your head off as soon as I stepped into the door and been done with it. Trash like you needs to know your place. As the Devil, I'm going to teach it to you before I send you to hell."

"W-wait! Can't we tal-" The coven leader was cut off when the Phantomhive crouched down and gripped one of his fangs between his fingers. He stilled himself, wanting to plead with the demon to not do what he was about to.

"Fangs are a source of pride amongst vampires, correct?" the Phantomhive asked. "That won't do. Filth doesn't _deserve_ that luxury." With a swift yank, the vampire had been relieved of one of his precious fangs, causing him to scream and cover his mouth with his working hand. Gently, Ciel placed the tooth on the floor before reaching for the other man's hand.

"There's still three more." Spoke the demon. "Move your hand, or you'll lose it, too."

This was a nightmare. Baldassare looked on in horror as the demon tortured the leader of his rival coven. This was the Watchdog that he knew. This was the monster that children of the special zone were warned about so that they wouldn't misbehave. This was the Devil for whom love was impossible. It should _still_ be impossible. Yet somehow, Baldassare was supposed to believe that even after this; breaking a vampire's bones and ripping out its fangs; the Phantomhive was somehow able to look with adoration into the eyes of another whisper genuine, kind words into their ears. To most normal people, this seemed to rightfully be a far-fetched concept. It certainly was to Baldassare, who was abnormal!

One fang, two fangs, three fangs, four… At last, Brummel was rendered helpless, unable to even obtain food on his own should he somehow make it out of this alive. It was unlikely, though. He couldn't walk, or even crawl. The man simply laid in the floor, curling himself up into a ball in an attempt to shield himself. He could feel the demon's glare stabbing into him as the Phantomhive looked down on him.

Ciel honestly wasn't sure where to go from here. He didn't feel like being especially thorough, but he also didn't feel as though the vampire had suffered enough. He had to make up his mind quickly, however, as he sensed Alois getting closer. Obviously, he didn't need to worry about the blonde after all, as he was quick to catch up, getting closer, closer, and closer, still.

In a split-second decision, Ciel decided to simply end it, shoving his blade into the chest of the vampire on the floor. Brummel grunted, his body tensing before falling limp. While both demons had their sadistic tendencies, Ciel somehow felt that it was wrong to torture a man in front of his beau while he was injured. The bluenette would rather tend to his menace.

The chance to do so arrived as the blonde walked through the door, stopping before he could pass Baldassare. His shoulder was aching and he was personally done with working on this mission. The wound was finally shut, but the soreness persisted, and the spot was still reddened and irritated. He would have been fine if he hadn't been shot and had to kill an ally, but alas, that was not the case. Even now, his mind was not in his work, as he was almost surprised by the body on the floor in front of the Phantomhive. Alois watched as his beau plucked his sword from the vampire's chest and put it back in its sheath before meeting his gaze. The bluenette took a few steps forward, holding his arms open to the other man. Without giving another thought, Alois walked over and took up the other demon's offer, wrapping his arms around the man's waist while Ciel held him.

"You stink worse than earlier." Alois pointed out, grinning as he rested his chin on the other man's shoulder. "Is it almost time to go home?"

"I just took out their leader, so after H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. does one last sweep, we should be free to go." His beau replied. "If my smell offends you, then don't hug me."

"I have to, though. My night's been kind of crummy and I need them."

"Sorry to hear about that." Ciel stated. "Are you alright?"

"I got shot, but I'll be okay. My shoulder just hurts." Answered the blonde. "Do we need to call somebody and tell them that the leader is dead?"

"Probably. Can I borrow your radio?" inquired the Watchdog. Wordlessly, the menace reached into his coat with one hand and grabbed the radio before handing it to his beau and wrapping his arm back around the other man's waist again, forcing a small smile to appear on the bluenette's face.

"Alpha, this is Phantomhive." He greeted as he placed the device up to his ear. "Their leader is dead. The chain of command should now collapse. Is there anything more you need?" He paused as he waited for a response.

"Negative, Phantomhive." Answered Brasher's voice. "Captain says we're all good on our end. You shouldn't leave in case we need you, though. Wait outside with the trucks, if you want."

"I think I might just do that. Phantomhive: out." With that, he put the radio back in the blonde's coat, not bothering to try and pry the man off of him. Afterwards, he briefly stroked the Macken's blonde locks before speaking. "Did you hear that? Let's go make our way out of here."

"Alright." Mumbled the menace, reluctantly letting go of the bluenette, only to grab hold of his hand moments later. If they weren't filthy and covered in blood, one might have actually mistaken them for an ordinary couple.

Neither of them seemed fazed in the slightest by either their appearance, or their surroundings. They certainly didn't feel strange about having killed a bunch of people. To them, it was just an ordinary day at work. Baldassare couldn't help but feel disquieted by the displacement between demeanor and actions; by how the pair flirted and laughed as they walked, like normal young adults as they stepped over bodies on their way toward the exit. It was dumbfounding.

The Devil, who punished the wicked with cruelty and who kept both humans and creatures of the night under his watchful eye, became strangely pleasant in the presence of his assistant, despite his same old disenchantment with violence and gore. It was a most curious sight for Baldassare to come across, somehow drowning out his fear from before. This same devil spoke words of encouragement to the vampire, reminding him to not lose his resolve and his sight on what was important to him. Was that something that devil's do?

As the Girasol vampire examined the duo closer, it slowly began to dawn on him. Ciel and Alois were similar, weren't they? The blonde did not seem to be bothered by their environment, or by the task at hand. He was just as strange, wasn't he? He, too, was a demon, and he was the right hand man of the devil!

The group made their way outside, avoiding being shot by Beta Squad. It was then that the two groups would be taking their separate ways. Ciel and Alois would stay in case they were needed, and Baldassare would go home and rest. It was almost dawn, after all. He needed to hurry before the sun came up.

Baldassare started walking, pausing to pull out his cell-phone in order to call a car to pick him up. As he placed the device up to his ear, he began pacing as he waited for one of his underlings to answer. When he did, however, his eyes honed in on something most peculiar, indeed.

The Devil, who punished the wicked with cruelty and who kept both humans and creatures of the night under his watchful eye, was smiling warmly. His entire expression was kind, right from the bottom of his blackened heart as he embraced his fellow demon tenderly. In return, the fair-haired man grinned and hugged back, nuzzling into the Phantomhive's shoulder before pulling back to peck Ciel on the lips. It was sweet. Too sweet. Could the Devil be this sweet? Unless Baldassare's eyes were playing tricks on him, he could, if he chose to.

Yes, it was the Devil's duty to punish the wicked. And yes, he was cruel and somewhat wicked, himself. Yet despite all of this, the Phantomhive denied these traits immediately before his partner so that one who was much like himself and was abandoned and left to rot by God in his mortal life could find happiness and home in the arms of the Devil.

* * *

**A/N: Oh...  
**

**Neat...**

**Uh... where do I go from here? I could probably squeeze out another chapter for this arc, or I could just go back to the FUNTOM thingy...**

**Whatever... I'll think of something...**

**Questions? **

_**"Anyway a serious question, do get inspiration from different places or stuff or are these amazing ideas all yours? I mean it seems pretty awesome for an unprofessional author..." by Socially Awkward Oreo Monster**_

**I get them from almost everywhere. I could be walking on my way to class or something, and just randomly see something that makes me just go "_Oh! New idea!"_ Sometimes I read a news article, of see something more conceptual in fiction that I like, or I learn something new about science, or I overhear a weird conversation, or I'm actively in said conversation. For example: I've been wanting to incorporate a clocktower fight-sequence, somehow just because I pass by the one on my campus every single day and it's just like: "_Man, that would be cool_".  
**

**One of the things I do is try to imagine the characters just walking through whatever scenery I'm looking at, and maybe figure out how they got there. It's kind of like a mental exercise, only you can generate some actual stuff you might use from it.**

**Just... everywhere. Look for the little details in the world around you and keep learning about random shit. Know lots of things. The more seemingly "useless" information you know, the more things you have to pull from. Also keep consuming media. It can be a TV show, a book, whatever. Just keep your eyes open for shit.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Ciel- What would your reaction be to Integra walking in on you and Alois asleep or cuddling together? And Integra what would your reaction be?"** by BlazeingEcho  
_

_Ciel's Answer:__ "Well, naturally, I'd be embarrassed, but it's not like I can just shove Jim away. She should know by now that we do that sort of thing..."_

_Integra's Answer:__ "..." *snorts*_

_0000000000000000000000_

_Question: __"Ciel, do you have like a collection of special anti-demon weapons, or was the sword just a HELLSING loan?" by Auraheart_

_Ciel's Answer: "No. Both Jim and I only have two each; one for close-quarters-combat and one for longer ranged attacks. He has the Jarnglofar Mk II and the Kaspar, while I have my sword, Ethel, and my gun, Zamiel."_

_00000000000000000000_

_Questions:** "( I was just curious to ask... Please dont kill me)Oh ma gawd, have Alois ever walked in to seeing Ciel masturbating?! And have Ciel ever hit Luka before? I would want to know please... Sebastian, can I clean the household with you?!"** by _

_Alois' Answer: "Oh dear God... Well, first things first, Ciel would never hit Luka, like, ever, and yeah, I have caught Ciel wanking before. It was shortly after we started having sex together, and we were both really really embarrassed about asking the other for it. Well, I was walking past his office and thought I heard him calling for me, so I opened the door, and BAM! Ciel's at his desk taking care of business. He seemed pretty into it, too, for the half-a-second it took him to register that the door opened. I have never seen him so completely mortified before. It was great. _

_...And that is how Ciel got his first blowjob."_

_Sebastian's Answer: "I don't think the master would appreciate me letting strangers into the household..."_

_000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"For the grim reapers: Why don't you guys just wear contacts so you don't have to worry about losing your glasses, or someone knocking them off? Also, are there any female reapers, not behind the desk mean ones that go out and reap souls. (Grell you don't count.)"** by SingingFreak648_

_William's Answer:__ "A reaper's spectacles__ are the proof that they are a full-fledged reaper. You are not considered a reaper without them. To cast away one's glasses is to signal that one has abandoned their post. The sentence for that is death. To answer the second part of your question, yes. More females have been undergoing training as well, in recent years, more than doubling our productivity."_


	42. Werepire Domestication

Hellsing Manor: home to the Hellsing family for generations and part of the home base for the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. Although the sun had just risen, trucks drove up and unloaded soldiers, who then tiredly put their equipment away and headed home. Two of the soldiers, however, actually lived on the base and only needed to travel downward.

Charlotte and Amelie trudged down the stairs toward the basement of the large house that few soldiers were ever actually permitted to enter without having business there. Amelie didn't even make it down the hallways before she was already taking off her coat and gloves. Her girlfriend her tempted to do the same, but decided to wait until she got in the door. The vampire unlocked it and let both of them in, ignoring Amelie as the girl took off her belt and pants and changed into a pair of shorts before flopping onto the bed.

The two shared what could be comparable to a one-room apartment beneath the manor, as did Audrey and Seras, a few doors down. Amelie actually was assigned her own quarters, but somehow managed to weasel her way into Charlotte's and decided to take up residency here instead. It wasn't as if the vampire minded. She knew that the wolf-girl would have been over all of the time, regardless.

Charlotte took off her coat and made her way to the kitchen. She made a beeline for the refrigerator, opening it and crouching slightly to reach the bottom drawer where any ordinary person might keep produce. Packets of medical blood filled it halfway. It was enough for a month or so, if she ate sparingly. Right now, however, she was practically starving from being around all of that fresh blood.

After grabbing a packet, she shut the refrigerator door before pausing. She decided that it would be better if it was warm. It tasted different and had a different texture that way. Before she did, however, she peeked her head out of the kitchen and looked toward the werewolf.

"Hey, I'm gonna heat this up, do you need to use the microwave, first?" she inquired. She always asked first when Amelie hadn't eaten yet, because while it may be delicious to her, not everyone else was too keen about having human blood near their food.

Upon hearing the question, the werewolf rolled off of the bed and into the floor before starting to get herself up in response. Naturally, her girlfriend took this as a "yes". As Amelie made her way to the kitchen as well, Charlotte was starting to debate on whether or not she wanted to wait to eat, or just drink it cold. She watched the wolf-girl throw in some leftovers from the fridge and set the timer. Seven minutes. No, Charlotte decided that she didn't want to wait.

She leaned against the counter and bent the small tube attached to the pouch breaking the piece of plastic inside before placing it to her lips. It was a lot like drinking out of a regular juice pouch. Admittedly, though, it wasn't quite the same as biting someone. Now that she and her girlfriend were with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and had blood readily accessible, the vampire refrained from biting the wolf-girl, as he knew Amelie didn't really like it. She couldn't really blame her, really. Having your neck stabbed by fangs and being drained of blood must feel awful. Charlotte didn't really remember what it felt like, herself, as she was almost dead at the time.

Meanwhile, Amelie sat in the floor, having lost the motivation to stand. The lycanthrope then scooted backwards until her back was pressed up against the counter. She leaned her head on her girlfriend's legs and watched the clock count-down to when her food would be done. The thought of having to stand back up annoyed her, somewhat, but she had to, unless Charlotte was willing to get her meal for her so she could eat on the kitchen floor. She was tired. She had to run around and shoot at vampires all night, just like many others. As always, Amelie was somewhat amazed as to how the vampire could still stand.

"Tired." She said, shutting her eyes, briefly. She was starting to debate as to whether she could still abandon food for the moment and simply go to bed or not.

"You should still eat something, first." Charlotte replied. "I'll keep you from falling asleep on your plate." A giggle escaped her as the other girl whined, turning and wrapping her arms around the vampire's leg and pressing her face into her outer-thigh. Amelie groaned as the microwave _dinged,_ signaling that she had to stand up again. What a pain.

"I don't wanna get up." She complained.

"If you want, I can get it for you, but you'll have to let go of my leg, first." The vampire replied. Her partner only answered her by tightening her grip and uttering a small groan, causing freckled nosferatu to roll her eyes. Thus, Charlotte simply opted to drag the werewolf with her, slowly trudging to the microwave while the bottom of the other girl was scooted across the tile after her. She held her blood transfusion pouch in her teeth while tending to Amelie's meal. Finally she looked down again.

"You can't eat while holding my leg." She said. "I'm not feeding you, either."

"Fiiinnneee…" Amelie replied, finally releasing the other girl. She held up her hands. "Food please."

"_You're welcome." _The vampire said sarcastically.

"_Merci."_ Her partner replied. As she was offered the plate. She continued to sit in the floor as she ate, still unwilling to move just yet. "Love you, _Lotte._"

"You just love me because I get you food." Charlotte teased.

"Oh, no! _You found out my secret!"_

"That's just _mean_…" the vampire stated, walking over to the trash can to throw away the empty packet. She then walked back to their room in order to change clothes. Military gear wasn't exactly comfortable to sit around the house in.

"I was joking!" called Amelie, sitting in the floor and eating her meal. "You're pretty and nice and smart, Charlotte!"

"_I know."_ Stated the other girl with a smug grin. When she was done, she walked back into the kitchen wearing a tank-top and a pair of shorts.

"Shoulder-freckles." The werewolf said, looking up at her girlfriend.

"You're not going to start counting them again are you?"

"I will make no such promise." With that, Amelie finally stood, setting her dishes in the sink before getting a glass of water.

Charlotte shook her head at the wolf-girl's response. She didn't understand why Amelie found her spots so interesting and she probably never would. Her thoughts drifted elsewhere, however, as she noticed that the salt in the blood she drank had sucked out the moisture in her lips. It was an annoying side effect.

"Do you have any chapstick I can borrow?" she asked.

Without even turning around, Amelie simply answered with "Coat pocket." She didn't give it a second thought until the vampire turned to go rummaging through her belongings. Immediately on that realization, she regretted answering.

"Thanks." Charlotte replied, walking out of the room and picking up the werewolf's coat. She started digging in its pockets one by one, not noticing the panic that her girlfriend was currently in. Frantically, the wolf-girl looked around before finally turning to stop he partner.

"_Non!"_ she shouted, springing into action. She leaped into the air in an effort to tackle the vampire, but missed, crashing into the floor instead. To her horror, her girlfriend had already found it; the small, black box that she had been hiding.

"What's this?" curiously inquired Charlotte, opening the box without a second thought. Inside of it was a small gold ring, much to the confusion of the vampire. It didn't seem like something Amelie would have.

"It's pretty." She continued. "Looks expensive, too. You must've saved up for a while for… this..?" she trailed off as she turned to look at the girl on the floor looking up at her.

Amelie looked mortified. Her face, neck, and ears were completely red; and her mouth hung open as if she was trying to form something to say. She obviously wasn't herself, at the moment, only leaving the vampire to guess as to why. As the gears started turning in her head, Charlotte's face grew progressively redder as well.

Finally, her flush reached its peak when she put together a possible explanation. Her eyes went from the ring and then back to the lycanthrope; back to the ring, and then back to the lycanthrope again. Suddenly, she started walking over to her girlfriend before crouching down to her level, causing the wolf-girl to jump.

"Amelie…" she said. "What is this?"

Amelie opened her mouth to speak again before closing it. She wanted to pick her words carefully, of course, given the circumstance. Unfortunately, though, her nerves got the better of her and she was only able to utter one word.

"_Wife?"_ she said questioningly, immediately looking away upon realizing that she faltered. Her eyes scrunched themselves shut so she wouldn't be forced to look at the other girl. She was embarrassed. Really embarrassed.

It didn't last long, however, as she felt something hot on her shoulder. Charlotte's forehead was burning as she rested it on the shoulder of the wolf-girl, but then again, so was the rest of her face. She hid herself, knowing full-well that it didn't do her any good. Scooting closer, she wrapped her arms around Amelie, before mumbling: "Yes."

That's it. That's all it took for Amelie to perk up. Her eyes opened and she looked at the vampire to the best of her ability, given their current position. Reaching behind her, she grabbed Charlotte's hands and pushed them away, taking the box in the process. An unusually serious expression fell over her features as she opened it and took out the ring. Charlotte offered her a hand, which she took before sliding the band onto her ring finger. With the action complete, she smiled. Her smile was so wide, that it made her cheeks hurt. It was contagious, too as it spread to the vampire as well. After a few moments, their fingers intertwined and their foreheads pressed together.

"Wife." Amelie repeated, causing the other girl to giggle.

"No." replied Charlotte before pressing their mouths together briefly. "You mean '_wives_'."

* * *

**A/N: In the reviews, y'all were like: "Now DANKRIS? DanKris?!"  
**

**Nah.**

**_Werepire lesbians_.**

**I hope you're not too disappointed. **

**Ugh, if I stay up any later, I'm gonna have so much trouble getting up tomorrow...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	43. I Stole Everything

With a huff, Alois walked to his next class. He didn't want to go to biology, but he had to. It was his last class for the day, thank goodness, but he wasn't at all thrilled to go in the first place. Oftentimes, he debated on just skipping, but he knew that his bluenette beau would inevitably find out and scold him for it.

The fact that it was going to be a busy week didn't help. He took the day off the day before this one, as he had just gotten done raiding a vampire coven. The soldiers fortunately agreed to keep his direct involvement a secret from Sir Hellsing. He killed a bunch of vampires, got shot a few times, healed, and then had to go to school for the rest of the week. Not to mention that the FUNTOM anniversary event was sometime during it, and so was Alois' birthday.

The blonde was actually looking forward to the latter, given that he was promised a date without any pesky work getting in the way. How his beau was going to accomplish that, however, he hadn't the faintest clue. For some reason, he pictured Ciel trying to convince Integra not to call them on that evening. Now that was a funny image.

For now, though, Alois would have to make an attempt to pay attention in biology class. The instructor said something about a group project a few days earlier, so he could probably dump most of the work on his teammates. That would be nice. Then he could zone out and ponder whatever he wanted. At least that's what he thought before he received a text message from a certain bluenette.

"_Come to the front gate. We're leaving._

_-CP"_

Duty calls. The blonde didn't mind, though. Solving murders or stopping terrorist plots was a million times more interesting than biology class. Thus, the man immediately turned around and started heading toward the campus entrance. He felt the cold, late autumn air whip against his cheeks as he nearly ran, being sure not to do so too quickly as not to draw unnecessary amounts of attention.

Soon he made it to see the bluenette patiently waiting by the front gate. A large grin appeared on the blonde's face upon seeing the Phantomhive, as it did not go unnoticed that Ciel was wearing his coat. What choice did he have? The blonde had stolen the watchdog's own yet again, as usual. The eyepatched demon finally stood up straight from his place leaning against the wall in order to greet the menace.

"So _that's _where my coat went." He mused, shaking his head at the blonde's actions. Alois drew his arms in close, using one hand to grip the collar of the jacket and pressing the fabric to his face while wrapping the other around his torso.

"It smells like you. It's like wearing a hug." The fair-haired man answered. "So what didja need? We got work, or did you just come here to take your coat back?"

"No. Even if I did, you wouldn't return it." Ciel replied. "It's not really business-related. Did you forget what today's date is?"

"Is it FUNTOM's thingy?" the blonde asked arching an eyebrow. "Do you need help with it or something?" His beau simply rolled his visible eye and walked closer to the blonde, grabbing his hands. The bluenette leaned closer; his breath tickled the menace's ear as he spoke.

"Happy Birthday, you silly thing." He whispered before pulling back a bit and pecking the blonde's cheek. Ciel could feel the other man's face heat up a bit with his lips and grinned. Honestly, how could Alois forget? Between his schoolwork and agent-work, though, it was almost understandable. "I'm going to steal you away for the day. I promised you a date, didn't I?"

"That, you did." The blonde stated. "So what's the plan?"

"First, we're going to go home and drop off your backpack. Then, the rest is a surprise."

"Alright, now I _have_ to know. Not knowing what kind of stuff you've got planned is gonna kill me!"

"No, that can't happen. It would ruin everything." Ciel jested. "It's your birthday after all, and I intend to spoil you rotten."

"Don't you do that anyway?" asked Alois with a giggle.

"Possibly. I do _try _to hold back a bit."

"You're not very good at it."

"I know." The bluenette replied, letting go of one of the Macken's hands and intertwining their fingers together on with the other. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way, Romeo." His beau answered.

"Romeo dies at the end."

"Fine." Alois stated, leaning in to nuzzle the other man's shoulder and wrapping his free arm around that of the man's which was currently in possession of his other. "Lead the way,_ my little chuckaboo."_

Ciel shook his head but smiled, regardless. Clearly, he wasn't going to win on this, yet somehow, he didn't quite mind. In the unlikely event that Ciel were to be honest about the blonde's pet-names, he would admit that he found them a bit endearing. That, however, was an impossibility so for now he would that fact to himself.

In the simple verbal gestures, the blonde was claiming the Phantomhive as his own. Ciel liked that. Only Alois could call him these silly things, just as Ciel was allowed to call his beau "Jim". Then again, he did feel a bit jealous that other people were able to do so as well. Both Luka and the entire Round-Table Conference called the blonde by his birth name, too, and as petty and childish as it was, Ciel wanted to be the only one who could claim it.

While the bluenette acted smooth in his pursuit of this venture, he was actually quite nervous. Between school, police-work, and work with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; there wasn't much time for dates like this one. In fact, he had to ask Scotland Yard and nearly downright _beg_ Sir Integra not to call them out for anything on this particular day. Ciel had arranged most of their dates thus far, but even during the three years that they've been a couple, they haven't been able to go on many, even including the ones that had been interrupted.

The Phantomhive can arrange espionage missions. He can arrange important meetings and events, as well. Even still, somehow arranging a date where he and his beau would finally get to act like an ordinary couple was difficult. The main reason for this, however, could definitely be attributed to the fact that neither man knew exactly_ how_ to be "normal". Their concept of the word severely deviated from the ordinary sense, as theirs involved supernatural murder mysteries and such. Ciel certainly hoped that Alois would understand. The blonde had picked a wealthy, demonic, government agent to be his boyfriend, yet the Phantomhive would certainly try his best.

After the pair went home to drop off Alois' school stuff, they set out yet again to their first location. Despite Ciel's protesting and assurance that calling a cab would be no trouble, Alois insisted on driving them in the freshly replaced Mercedes Benz. He was sure to inform the butler of the household that it would come back unscathed.

* * *

**A/N: Oooh... I cut it.  
**

**Sorry, I just really, really wanted to make sure that I posted _SOMETHING_ today. I updated, so please forgive me~!**

**Yeah, Alois steals Ciel's jacket often. If DLTD were an anime or manga, the first few missions would have them be _their_ jackets, but after a while, I would randomly switch them back and forth.**

** I would hide all kinds of shit just because I could. You'd see "_Devil Butler_" and "_Code: Zero_" merch or adverts in the background, characters from other things hidden in the crowd, other little references to Kuro... shit like that; and for no reason other than I think it would be funny. I wouldn't even care if anybody noticed. I would just do it as an inside joke to myself.**

**Also, I'm glad that y'all were excited about the last chapter, and that "werepire lesbians" is apparently a thing, now. If they somhow had kids, though, they would be _literal_ werepires...**

_**Whoa, bro...**_

**Questions?**

_**"If Ciel was 130 or something when the story began, why was he in high school? Especially when he's apparently had that education already." by Honeycloud of RiverClan**_

**He's almost 139, now... Old fart...**

**That has to do with his weird phobia of not being "human" anymore. He didn't want to let go of his past self and was unwilling to move past a certain point. Moreover, he was _bored._ He lives forever, didn't have friends, and was _bored_. He was so unbelievably bored, that he went to school to kill time. That's also why he was always so willing to go back to "Guard-Dog" duty upon returning to England. That was like, a special treat for him, because it gave him something to do!**

**Anyways, we'll get to see the little nerds date next time. I actually did some research for it, and there's an anime shop nearby. Weird...**

**Until then, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Questions:** "For Audrey: How much thought have you put in to becoming a legitimate reaper? It seems to greatly appeal to you, but I feel you enjoy work at HELLSING as well?"** by VioletBlueEyes  
_

_Audrey's Answer:__ "Not really. After talking with those guys, I don't think it's really for me. I real__ly like working at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. It's really exciting, and I don't have to do much paperwork!"_

_0000000000000000_

_Question: **"A question for Sebastian: What is the funniest thing you've seen happen during a nerf gun battle to the death or a paintball war?"** by Scarlet Warrior_

_Sebastian's Answer: "I think I would get in some trouble if I admitted to some of those..."_


	44. Believe It

"_Can I at least have a hint?"_ the blonde asked as he navigated the streets of London with his beau. The anticipation of what the bluenette had in store for him was starting to get to him.

"Nope." Ciel replied. He then pointed. "Turn left right here." He added.

"Not even a little one?" inquired Alois as he turned the wheel. "C'mon! I've gotta know!"

"We're almost there, so you'll find out very soon." Chuckled the bluenette. "It's just around the corner, there. Turn right. Into the parking garage, there."

"Romantic parking garage, date?" jested the menace.

"Definitely_. Surprise_." Sarcastically chimed the Phantomhive.

The two paid the fee and parked the car before stepping out. Almost instinctively, their hands locked themselves together as the watchdog led the way. He led the blonde out of the garage and onto the sidewalk outside, simply strolling along for a while before he saw the building.

"There it is." The bluenette said, pointing his finger. Immediately, the blonde followed it toward a massive building.

"It's huge!" Alois declared. "What is it?"

"The Trocadero shopping and entertainment center." Ciel stated. "I have to admit, I've been wanting to see this place for ages, but never really had an excuse, before. You'll see why once we get inside."

"Oh, so were coming here for you, then?" Alois teased.

"Of course not." His beau answered. "It just so happens to also be a place that seems right up your alley. This isn't the first stop, either. Hopefully I can pry you away by that time."

Alois chose to simply take the bluenette's word for it until they got inside, and Ciel was right. He certainly was not disappointed. There were lights all around them, pouring out of shops and lining escalators while inviting the duo every which way. It looked like the mall, but was a bit grander. To Alois, it appeared as though they had fast-forwarded into the future, and the now nostalgic sense of culture-shock hit the menace. He could have sworn that he was just in sunlight mere moments ago, but now it appeared as though they were in some sort of underground world.

A large grin formed on the bluenette's face as he looked at that of his beau. He took delight in Alois' visage as his eyes widened and his mouth hung open slightly as he looked around. The Phantomhive could see a mix of shock and excitement in the other man, and he found it positively adorable.

"Aren't you glad I kept it a surprise?" he asked with a chuckle, wondering if his smile could get any bigger as his date directed his attention toward him.

"_Uh-huh_…" Alois managed to utter.

"Where do you want to go first? Just look around and head toward the first thing that strikes your fancy. We've got time." The bluenette said.

"Huh?! I thought you were leading this?" the fair-haired demon nervously asked.

"That wouldn't be any fun, though." Ciel answered. "Let's see, there's bowling, laser-tag, an arcade, The Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, there's shopping…"

"That's too many things to pick from!" his date declared. After that, he began listing things off as he reasoned on his fingers. "Uh…. Let's see… Laser-tag is like paint-ball, which we play at home… You'd probably kick my ass at bowling… Uhm… so that just leaves the last three…"

It would never stop being amusing to the Phantomhive how seriously the menace took playing. He simply watched his beau as the menace tried to figure out what he wanted to do first, admiring the man facial expressions that came over his boyfriend as he reasoned and unreasoned his next course of action. Finally, the blonde had something worked out.

"I want to save the arcade for last." He said as though he were discussing battle-plans. "But then again, if we go to the shops, we might want to do that last, in case we buy something so we don't have to carry it around the whole time. So that means that we should go to the Ripley's Museum first."

"Roger that. Sounds good to me." The bluenette answered, letting go of the blonde's hand in order to place his own in the small of the man's back. With that, he reached into his coat and pulled out the map he had printed out before leaving and ushered his date into the general direction of their destination.

Thus the date began. Alois simply lit up at all of the oddities inside, trying to imitate the poses of various mannequins, gawking at photos and artifacts, and getting into trouble for getting too close to them. It Ciel hadn't intervened on several occasions, they would have most certainly been asked to leave. It was worth it, however. Somehow, the pair managed to act like an ordinary couple in the process.

"Ciel! Ciel!" the blonde called, prompting the bluenette's attention. The Phantomhive turned away from the shrunken heads that he was looking at in order to investigate as to what the blonde wanted.

"Yes?"

"Check it out! The world's tallest man!" Alois stated, pointing to a manequin. It had the appearance of a plain-looking man with round spectacles and a grey suit. The dummy was holding up a large ruler so that visitors could compare heights. Ciel knew where this was going.

"Eight-foot-eleven…" he trailed off, looking up at the towering figure. "How on earth does that even happen?"

"Who knows?"

"My guess is that you want to compare heights, yes?"

"You know it." Alois stated, walking up to the measuring stick. "C'mon, what's it say?" His beau walked over, setting a hand on the other man's head in order to flatten his hair a bit so he could read.

"Five-foot-seven." The Phantomhive stated. "My turn?"

"You bet, shorty." Teased the menace, switching places with him. As Ciel backed against the stick, the blonde did the same thing that the other man had done to him and flattened his hair with a grin, only for it to fade moments later as he read the number.

"Five…. _Five-foot-nine_…" he said. His eyebrow visibly twitched as he saw his date smirk at the discovery.

"Cheater! You shape-shifted, didn't you?!" the blonde loudly accused.

"I did not. I was this height when we got here." The Phantomhive said. He took a step forward and put his hands on Alois' upper arms with a grin. "Why? Does it _bother _you?"

"Shut up! It's crap like this that makes people think that I'm the _'girly' _one!" Alois said, his cheeks flushing. "Wipe that look off your face!"

"I can't. You're too cute." Ciel replied. He leaned forward, allowing the blonde to place his hand on his chest as he planted a kiss on Alois' forehead. "You're not '_girly',_ either. You've won more fist-fights than most men will ever be in and you look good doing it."

"Oh? So you like it when I act '_manly'?"_ Alois attempted to tease.

"Maybe." His beau answered. Suddenly, however, the Phantomhive's smile dropped as his eye wandered elsewhere. Following it, Alois saw a group of teenagers looking at them and talking while laughing. A few of them pointed as well, much to the pair's annoyance.

"Think the one with the eyepatch is looking for the glass eyes?" one asked.

"I don't think that'll help him figure out if he's with a guy or a girl or not!" said another.

"Think they're part of the exhibit?"

Alois furrowed his brow. He didn't take that sort of talk from hardened thugs, so he certainly wasn't going to take it from a bunch of brats. He took his hands off the bluenette's chest and glared at them, and as soon as he did so, Ciel's grip on him tightened.

"Jim, don't do it." The bluenette said. "They're children."

"If you let kids get away with crap like that now, they'll think that they can get away with it when they're older." The blonde said. "Relax, I'm only going to scold them a bit. I'm not gonna hit a kid, Ciel."

Hesitantly, the bluenette nodded and released the menace. He followed the blonde's lead as the other man put his hands in his pockets and casually strolled up to the group of teens, watching as the panic washed over their features and listening to their whispering to each other as they tried to reason as to what to do. They hadn't counted on the butt of their joke actually walking over to them. Now they were scared. As the blonde got closer, they could tell that he was older than them.

"Oi what's up?" the blonde asked. "You havin' a giggle? What's so funny? I saw you lot pointing over at us."

"Oh… Uh… Nothing…" said one of the teens, avoiding eye contact.

"'_Nothing'?_ It sure didn't look like '_nothing_'. It looked like you were havin' a real laugh over here! Now, c'mon, tell me~!"

Ciel tried to hold back his amusement at the sight. While it could be deemed somewhat pathetic that the blonde was picking on a group of kids, it was fun to see him put them in their place. The demon was even using his natural accent in order to scare them. The Phantomhive loved it.

"I'm just kidding." The blonde continued. "I know what you said. I heard every word. You think that's funny, huh? Think you're real cute, huh? Bein' all tough makin' fun of the homos, eh? Listen, kiddies, I've pummeled blokes big enough to shit you out for the exact same thing that you just did. Gimme a good reason why I shouldn't do that to you."

"We're sorry, alright?!" one of the teens in the group said. "We were just playin' around!"

"I ain't laughin'." Spoke the demon, leaning in close to the youth. "You're only sorry 'cause you pissed off someone tougher than you. Why don't you be sorry for being a worthless sack of shit instead? Go back home to mummy and daddy and say you're sorry for being such a disappointment."

He pulled back, standing up straight again, and smirking at the group as the huddled against the wall. Satisfied with these results, he turned around and latched onto the bluenette's arm again. His demeanor did a complete 180 as he leaned his head on the other man's shoulder.

"So where to next?" he asked as the both began to walk away.

"I'm not sure. What did you decide on?" answered the Phantomhive, chuckling at his boyfriend's antics. "Was it shopping or the arcade?"

"Going to the arcade next would be more practical, but I still wanna save that for last." Answered the Macken. "So we'll browse the shops, I guess."

"As you wish, your highness." With that, they left the museum, and subsequently the poor, stunned youth that had suffered but a mere fraction of their wrath to the next stop.

* * *

**A/N: I did not anticipate this "arc" to be over two chapters, and yet here we are... **

**This seems really short, but it's 1,820 words long... **

**Well, damn.**

**Just lemme write fluff for these cuties for a bit, m'kay? I want it...**

**Questions?**

_**"if you could ship two of the seven besides dankris or cielois who would you ship?" by fanficceptionwriter**_

**Nobody, because I already know how their love-lives pan out. Spoiler alert: they don't involve dating dudes. I'm sorry.**

_**"Question: If DLTD became an anime, who would the voice actors be? My dream cast for the (5 of the) Seven is probably: Daniel Westly: Todd Haberkorn, Kristopherson Miles: Vic Mignogna, Travis Sullivan: Sonny Strait, Preston Omid: Greg Ayres (Voice of Prince Soma xD), Audrey Baines: Maxey Whitehead" by VioletBlueEyes**_

**Hmmmmmmmmmmnnnnn... I'd have to say my cast would be something kinda sorta like:**

**Daniel Westley: Yuri Lowthendal**

**Kristopherson Miles: Todd Haberkorn**

**Travis Sullivan: Sonny Strait**

**Preston Omid: Greg Ayres (But not his "Soma" voice. No.)**

**Audrey Baines: Monica Rial (A bit odd, I know, but have you heard her in Princess Jellyfish?) **

**You got two of them right!**

**Vic Mignogna would probably be somebody like Murdock or something... Maxey Whitehead, I can see as Miranda, I think...?**

**I'm not 100% on any of these though...**

**This is really interesting, actually. I'd like to see more suggestions!**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	45. Leopold

_"Ugh! So many delicious things to put in my mouth, and I just can't prioritize them all!"_ complained a certain blonde menace. Even still, he had a _Cinnabon_ cinnamon roll in one hand with a bag or two hanging at his bent elbow. In the other was the hand of his boyfriend.

The pair had been wandering for hours, simply browsing and chatting; occasionally stopping to graze when they found a particularly interesting-looking food vendor. They had played around as well, cracking jokes and pointing out anything that struck them as "funny" or "unusual". Alois had stopped a few times to laugh at awkwardly-posed mannequins in windows, sometimes trying to replicate the odd position, himself to no avail. Passersby were definitely amused as his antics.

They had found a pet store and looked at the animals, too. They were allowed to pick up and play with the hermit crabs, which entertained the menace immensely. Ciel, however, refused after having "bad experiences" with crabs trying to pinch him. The pair got in trouble with the staff after the menace attempted to chase the other man down while holding one of the poor creatures. They were forced to leave.

It was alright, however. They stopped at candy and toy stores afterwards. Ciel practically raided the candy shop for what he claimed to be "market research". He promised that he would share his bounty with everyone else when they got home, and to make sure he kept his word, Alois would have to raid his hiding places sometime over the next few days. The venture did seem to help the CEO, however, as he then started discussing the prospects of combining candies with toys. They seemed to sell very well for others, and it was only a natural way to progress his company. He was baffled as to why he hadn't thought of it sooner.

Pushing business aside, however, he turned his focus to the blonde, feeling rather content with this turn of events. Perhaps it was certainly worth begging Sir Integra to not interrupt them. Moments like these when they could just go out and play were rare. It was even rarer for the Phantomhive to actually let loose during them as well. He listened to the blonde complain, smirking to himself as he leaned in. Just as the blonde was about to take another bit of his snack, the bluenette tore a huge chunk out of it for himself, puffing out his cheeks in the process.

"Hey!" Alois whined at the action. His beau swallowed before uttering a chuckle.

"I know what you mean!" the bluenette teased, licking his lips. "At this rate, dinner won't be necessary."

"There's nothing wrong with filling up on junk every once in a while, is there?" asked the menace.

"Luka is expecting birthday cake sometime soon, so at least save room for that." Ciel stated. "And didn't you scold me not too long ago for doing the exact same thing?"

"Uh… Well… You encouraged my little brother to do the same, and it's different for him because he's the most '_human-like'_, physically."

"Ah, I see, so it was just you being a good big brother?"

"Damn straight." Alois replied, briefly sucking on his fingertips to get any remnants of his snack that might have stuck to them. "So what's next on the agenda, datemaster?"

"You said you wanted to go to the arcade, didn't you?" asked the bluenette.

"Right! I forgot…" declared the menace, tugging on his date's arm. "Let's go~!"

"Do you even know where you're going?" the other asked, taking over the lead. He pulled out his map, giving them both a sense of direction. "Slow down, we've still got time."

"Sorry." Alois said, a small blush crawling over his cheeks as he grinned. "I'm just having _way_ too much fun right now."

With that simple utterance and the expression on the blonde's face, the Phantomhive's heart fluttered just a bit. That was simply no fair, launching a surprise-attack in order to catch the man off-guard. The fact that the blonde was enjoying himself definitely massaged the bluenette's ego, but more importantly, Ciel was simply glad that his boyfriend was happy. Alois' blush appeared to be infectious, as the watchdog caught it as well. It was no fair. The blonde wasn't supposed to act that cute when the Phantomhive could do nothing about it.

Even still, Ciel did try. He let go of the blonde's hand and placed his own on the man's opposite hip, pulling him close as Ciel leaned in. Using the map in his other hand, the Phantomhive blocked his actions from the public gaze, placing an affectionate kiss to the blonde's lips.

It wasn't fair. How could the blonde draw him in like this? He was supposed to stay cool and suave until they were alone. Now he had to resort to acting "lovey-dovey" in public! It was no fair. Alois didn't even know it, but he had the ability to bring the noble king of demons to his knees.

"_Good_." Ciel stated as he pulled away, lowering the map. "I'm glad. I hope I'm doing alright at this whole '_boyfriend'_ thing."

"You're excellent at it." His beau replied. I just wish I could compare!"

"You're good at it. Not many people's boyfriends would launch a rescue mission into a dragon-guarded castle in order to rescue them like some sort of knight in shining armour. You even had magic gauntlets and everything."

"Yes, but it was you who actually _defeated_ the dragon."

"That doesn't mean that you wouldn't have _tried_." Ciel stated. "Come, now, let's get back to playing. The day's far from over yet."

"Right now, it's currently night time, I think." Said the blonde, checking his watch, and prompting to do the same.

"Oh. We'd better hurry and play here while we can, then." Replied the Phantomhive. "We if we, don't, we might not make it."

"Make it _where?"_

"It's a _surprise_." Ciel answered, pressing a finger to his lips in a playful manner. With that, he nudged the blonde into the general direction of the arcade entrance, snapping the man to attention. Alois opened his mouth to protest, but then his excitement returned as he actually laid eyes on the place. It was dark inside, but was lit with the bright screens and flashing lights of the games inside. Alois was practically sparkling only being pulled from his trance when the bluenette tugged at his arm.

"Come on, we'll need to go get some change." The Phantomhive said, leading his boyfriend over to the machine. He chuckled when the menace got excited as the coins came out. If Alois' tail were out at that moment, Ciel could imagine it wagging back and forth. Odd, since he was supposedly a "lion", not a dog.

Immediately after, Alois started running about, going to all of the games that seemed to be the most fun. Some of them turned out to be busts, like the one or two point-and-shoot games that had broken plastic "gun" controllers. No matter how well someone is trained to use them, if a weapon is broken, then it's useless. Other games, however, were really fun. He and the bluenette both blew many coins on the games where they could compete against each other. Fighting games, puzzle games, racing games; it didn't matter. They were all fun. Ciel really seemed to enjoy the racing ones, and even openly laughed when he ran the blonde off the virtual road and passed him.

They killed several more hours that way, just playing and acting "normal". It was odd for things to be so otherwise peaceful, with no school, work, or supernatural interference, but they certainly made the best of it. Before long, however, Ciel looked at his watch and said:

"We should get going. If we don't leave soon, we'll miss it!"

"Are you ever going to tell me what exactly '_it'_ is?" asked the blonde, turning to face the other man as his character died.

"I told you, it's a surprise. You'll know soon enough." The bluenette stated. "But if we don't go, you never will."

"Alright." Alois replied, turning to trot alongside his beau. He hummed as he walked, excited for whatever it was that the bluenette had in store for him next. On their way out, however, they passed a most peculiar machine that wasn't quite like the others.

It was a box made of metal and glass with controls on the outside and stuffed animals on the inside. From what Alois could gather, one had to operate the controls and move the claw that was inside the box in order to grab the animals. The idea of an actual, physical prize was outstanding, and Alois wondered why there wasn't a long line in front of the machine!

"One more game." Spoke the Macken, making his way over to the box. His beau paused and watched him for a moment before following.

"Those are a scam." Ciel said. "They're impossible to win."

"Can't hurt to try, right?" the blonde asked, putting a token in the machine. "Just once, and then we'll go." He added, twirling the joystick.

His expression suddenly became serious as he concentrated on the crane's movements. When he felt like he had it lined up right, he tapped the button that dropped the claw, grabbing a small stuffed toy. Carefully, he moved the claw toward the drop pit, leaning forward more and more each time he saw the toy start to slip. Finally, when it looked like it might fall, he slammed the joystick so that the claw moved as fast as it could, so when the toy slipped out, it would be sent falling toward the pit. Lo and behold, his plan worked.

"Ha!" he barked at the Phantomhive, leaning down as the game reset itself for the next player. He opened the little compartment and grabbed his prize, before straightening his back again. Ciel found the toy held in front of his face.

"For you, m'dear." Alois said with a grin, offering the plush to his date. When Alois held it up, Ciel couldn't help but chuckle, having seen the toy held up to where it was in his vision at the same time as the blonde. It was a small stuffed lion wearing a white T-shirt with the Union Jack printed on it. Truly, the resemblance was uncanny. While he didn't quite know what he would do with it, he happily took it, unable to control the smile on his face.

"Why, thank you." He said. "It's cute. See? You really are good at the whole _'boyfriend'_ thing. I'm not really sure if it's right for me to get presents on your birthday, though."

"Well, it's only natural, to want to treat my lady." The blonde teased. "So what are you gonna name him?"

"I don't know. I'm not good at stuff like that. Why do you do it?"

"Because he's yours, so you should name him!" the Macken stated.

"Uh… the only thing that comes to mind is '_Leopold'_, for some reason."

"Then his name's Leopold! Leopold Lion! Hello~!" Alois said, pinching the plush's paw between his finger and thumb and forcing it to wave at the watchdog. "So happy to see you!"

"Well, then I guess Leopold is going to have to come with us to our next stop." Ciel replied. "Come on. We don't want to be late."

"I bet Leopold is wondering where exactly it is you're taking us, too." Spoke the blonde, grabbing hold of the other man's hand as they left the arcade. "Still no hints?"

"Well, it has to do with your birthday." Answered the Phantomhive.

"Ooh, that's _really_ helpful." Alois said. "Another hint?"

"That's all you're getting." Ciel replied, amused by the pout on his beau's face. He led his date back to the parking garage and waited for the blonde to unlock the door. Once the boy did, they both set their bags in the back before taking their seats. Ciel sat on the passenger's side with the stuffed lion in his lap. As the menace started the car, he took notice and uttered a giggle.

"He's not going in the back, too?"

"Well, if he's anything like you, then he might get lonely." The bluenette jested, relaxing in his seat as Alois backed the car out of the space and took off.

"Are you suggesting that I'm clingy?" jokingly inquired Alois as they made their way out on the street.

"You're very clingy and it's adorable." Ciel answered. "In fact, I quite like it."

"See? You love my cuddles." Giggled the menace. "So where are we headed?"

"Turn left at the next light."

The two traveled along the busy London streets to wherever it was that Ciel was directing them. It was unusually busy for some reason, but Ciel didn't seem at all concerned. When they arrived, however, Alois leaned back in his seat and shook his head.

"_A hotel?_ _Really, Ciel?"_ he asked, giving the other man a questioning look. His boyfriend simply chuckled as he parked the car again.

"I simply don't know what that look is for." The bluenette stated. "I have a quasi-innocent reason for bringing you here, I promise."

"Sure you do, sure you do." Alois said, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of the car.

He was followed by the bluenette after the man gently set his prize down so it sat in the passenger seat. After that, Ciel led the Macken inside, already having the key to their room. Alois simply rolled his eyes at his date's antics, taking his coat off once the door shut behind them and laying it down over a chair. He was about to turn on the lights when the bluenette stopped him, placing a hand over his own as he reached for the switch.

"Don't do that." The Phantomhive said. "Follow me."

Alois did as he was told and allowed himself to be led further into the room. Much to his confusion, however, the watchdog completely passed the large bed and headed toward the sliding glass door. Ciel unlocked it, and stepped out onto the balcony, pulling his cell-phone out of his pocket in order to check the time.

"It should be any minute, now…" he trailed off, causing the fair-haired demon to arch an eyebrow.

He was about to ask again as to what the watchdog was talking about, only to sense something off to his left. He looked up, his eyes widening as he saw a trail of light shoot up into the sky before exploding. He jumped at the loud _boom_ and was awe-struck as he watched it rain down coloured fire. Fireworks. He hadn't seen them in person before. The blonde took a few steps toward them and set his hands on the edge of the balcony.

"Are you kidding?" The words fell out of his mouth as he watched flowers blooming brightly in the sky. A warm hand was placed in the small of his back, capturing his attention. When he turned his head, he saw the bluenette standing closely beside him, watching the fireworks.

"Interestingly, your birthday also happens to fall on Bonfire Night, and it occurred to me that we've never watched the fireworks together." Ciel said, pausing as a loud boom echoed around them, momentarily turning the night sky green. "You can't watch them from the mansion."

Before he could say more, however, he found himself being clung to by the blonde next to him. Alois wrapped his arms around Ciel's waist and hid his face in his shoulder. It hurt from how much he was smiling. Once again, he had been out-done by Ciel Phantomhive, yet somehow, he wasn't mad. Instead, he was incredibly happy; so much, that he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. The air was cold, but he felt warm with Ciel's arm around him.

"They're beautiful." The menace spoke into the bluenette's neck. He nuzzled into it further, placing a kiss on the other demon while tightening his grip.

"You can't look at them if you hide your face, though." Ciel replied.

Almost immediately, his beau unwrapped his arms from around the watchdog's waist and slid them up Ciel's chest. He pulled away, taking a moment to look at the Phantomhive. The blonde's cheeks hurt from how he was trying to maintain a semi-normal expression, but he couldn't help it. Ciel couldn't help it either as he did the same. Alois' hands cupped the bluenette's cheeks and he touched their foreheads together, nuzzling their noses. Moments passed, and they stayed this way, ignoring the crackles and booms happening around them. They couldn't hear them. The fireworks seemed so far away as all they could hear was their own heartbeats and the sound of each other's breathing. Finally, a new sound was added to the mix when the blonde spoke.

"I love you." He whispered, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the other's embrace. "I love you so much…"

"I love you, too." Ciel whispered back, closing his eyes as well. Their faces drew closer, causing him to eventually whisper against the blonde's lips. "Happy Birthday, Jim."

* * *

**A/N:_ This was so embarrassing to write asdlkgahsdlgkahwoieuhg_  
**

**Fluff chapters are the hardest to write, like seriously.**

** Murder? I can do that. Torture? I can do that. Soul-crushing angst? Yep, I got it. _Fluff?_**

_**Ohgodlookatthesecuteassnerdssadgalghasdg!**_

**It's just a mess...  
**

**Eh... Not sure what I'm gonna do for the next chapter, but hopefully it's good...**

**Until then, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"**_**ciel, i want the truth for this question. no avoidance. have you ever used demon powers to make your dick bigger during sex? alois can answer too. :)"** by FanficceptionWriter

Ciel's Answer: "No."

Alois' Answer: "No, I've never thought of that! I don't think I would, though. Ciel would most likely tell and call me out on it afterwards... Instead, I do this thing with my hips that I learned from Ciel that... uh.. y'know... does a little more... Uhm, anyway, the only way I could possibly explain it is by comparing it to hula dancing or something... It feels great, but it took practice! I almost lost balance and fell on top of Ciel a few times..."


	46. Best Seat In The House

The next day, the pair had returned home with their bounty, passing around candy to the younger Macken brothers, who didn't really question as to why the pair didn't come home that night. Luka assumed that either something came up or that they were still having innocent fun, since demons like them don't need sleep. Revy, however, knew better, and just didn't want to know any details. As per his master's instructions, Sebastian had taken the two younger boys to one of the festivals in order to watch the fireworks and one of the bonfires. They didn't feel too left out, in the end. They still got cake when the demonic duo returned.

Alois went to school, much to his disappointment. It was still the middle of the week, so he had classes. He still got his "good morning" kisses before he left, and he had fun the day before, so he couldn't complain. Thus, he trudged to his first class after the usual insincere complaining and trying to barter out of it. His beau, on the other hand, stayed home and prepared for that evening.

The FUNTOM anniversary event would be taking place around nightfall, and Ciel had to be ready. He prepared his wardrobe, getting the suit that Kristopherson had put together for him out. While he was at it, he did the same for Alois, so the blonde wouldn't have to when he returned. At this point in time, the Phantomhive was going over the list of guests who had sent an RSVP, confirming their attendance. He stared at the computer monitor, reading e-mails as his butler tidied up around his office.

Sebastian went about the room, dusting off the bookshelves, which were seldom touched, aside from a few books here and there. One could tell which had been read most recently from the patterns in the dust! The butler shook his head at the sight. His master had barred him from entering the office for reasons that he wouldn't specify, yet Sebastian somehow knew that it involved the blonde menace. Naturally, Ciel wished to plan yesterday's outing without the butler's embarrassing input. He still got some, however, as the older demon found something most peculiar sitting on the shelf.

"What's this?" Sebastian curiously asked, holding a plush lion in his hand. The area where it had sat had been dusted so that it wouldn't get dirty. It was an odd find, to the butler, as he didn't recall FUNTOM ever selling such a toy, nor did he have any idea as to why it had been so carefully placed. He looked to his master, arching an eyebrow, watching as the bluenette looked up. Faint pink dusted the Phantomhive's cheeks at the sight.

"_That_ is _Leopold_." The watchdog stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Don't move him, he's happy there." He jested.

"Ah, and where, pray tell, did_ 'Leopold' _come from, might I ask?" inquired the man clad in black.

"He was a gift." Ciel answered. He would never admit it, but somehow, the fact that the blonde menace had given him such a silly thing pleased him.

"From Alois? Wasn't yesterday his birthday?"

"That's what I said, but he insisted." The bluenette stated, trying to sound somewhat aloof on the matter.

"Well, '_Leopold'_ doesn't seem as though he'd like to be friends with dust bunnies. They seem to live up here as well." Joked the butler, wiping the shelf before putting the toy back where he found it.

"I didn't know where else to put him- _it."_ Ciel corrected himself, trying not to adopt the blonde's habit of talking about toys as though they were people. His butler simply shook his head at the younger demon's antics and resumed working.

"He must be important to deserve such a seat." Sebastian mused.

"I suppose…" Ciel nonchalantly stated, turning his attention back to the computer screen in an attempt to evade discussing the matter further. While he and his butler had grown to be familiar with each other over the years, they certainly didn't discuss personal matters often. Regardless, the butler wished to tease his master about the subject for a while longer, catching on to the bluenette's attempt to rid himself of the conversation. A playful smirk appeared on the man's face as he continued.

"So I take it you had fun." He said, causing a small blush to form on the other demon's cheeks.

"Yes, both of us did."

"I can tell. You were having so much fun, that you simply lost track of time, and before you knew it, it was morning." Sebastian jested. A chuckled escaped his throat as Ciel choked on his own spit. He continued to do so as the younger man coughed, trying to recover in order to reply.

"You know damn well what happened." Muttered the bluenette, furrowing his brow. It bothered him deeply that his butler knew of his more intimate escapes, but the Phantomhive knew full-well that hiding the fact from the man clad in black was a complete impossibility. All Ciel could do was pray that Sebastian couldn't decipher the full details of his more private moments. Sebastian couldn't, fortunately, but still taunted his master, all the same.

"Isn't the rule that you're supposed to save it for marriage?" the butler teased, turning to face the younger demon. "You might go to hell for that."

_"Piss off."_ Ciel hissed, hiding his face in his work, much to the amusement of his servant. The bluenette's blush had darkened, remembering the events from only two days ago in the presence of his butler. Sometimes, he feared that if he let his mind wander around the man, Sebastian could somehow read his thoughts.

Instead, he focused on work. The anniversary was that night, after all. Ciel hated these events, as they were boring, and he wasn't fond of socializing. At least this time, however, his little "family" would be there to make things interesting.

It was then that Ciel realised something, however. He rubbed his temples as he tried to shake the thought. In order to maintain the lie that Ciel had been using for all of these years, he and the menace would have to pretend to be heterosexuals. The Phantomhive needed to maintain a plausible way to give the illusion of continuing the family line. In reality, he had been assuming the role of his children and grandchildren for decades, as he "couldn't live forever".

Knowing Alois, this could play out in two possible ways. One: Alois behaves and things go smoothly. Two: Alois uses this as an opportunity to harass Ciel without the bluenette being able to do a single thing about it. He tried not to huff out loud at the thought. He knew that the latter scenario was more likely to play out. How annoying. This was going to be a tough night to endure.

* * *

**A/N: IT'S BEEN SO LOOOOOOONNNGGG! I can't stand this whole "only having the energy to post on the weekends" thing! **

**I'm just so tired all the time, and sleeping doesn't fix it most days...**

**And I have to do homework tomorrow...**

_**Ugh.**_

**I wanted this chapter to be more involved, but I just had nothing. Ew. Next, chapter, next chapter. **

**Also I'm not telling you what's up with Preston, Dan, or Kris until I tell you. For some reason, all of these reviews about it makes me want to make you all wait longer...**

_**Suffer.**_

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	47. Tails and You Win

It was time. After almost a month of preparation, if was finally time for the big event that the Phantomhive family was reluctantly hosting. It was the FUNTOM Company's 180th anniversary celebration. The venue was set, and the guests were arriving. The only thing missing was the host.

It was intentional, too. Ciel was taking his sweet time, trying to postpone having to attend as long as possible. He was still about to transform into his disguise; the image of the persona he had created in order to hide his demonic identity. All he had to do was age himself to appear as though he was in his thirties, and change a few facial features here and there.

His jaw became more defined and his hair became longer and he parted it to the left so that he could cover his eye without an eyepatch. He added a bit of a goatee, as well, causing his face to have the same odd shade of blackish-blue that was on his head. When he put on his suit as well, he looked more like a villain than the owner of a toy company.

"_You look ridiculous."_ Snickered the blonde menace after having aged himself as well. The only other addition to his disguise that he added was a pair of glasses. They were false, of course, so that he could properly see his beau's queer appearance. Playfully, the man trotted over to the business man, pecking him on the lips before slipping something around his neck.

"A brighter-coloured tie might cut some of the '_mob-boss'_ look from you." He suggested, tying the light-blue piece of fabric for the other man. His lips formed a thin line and he giggled. "It feels so weird to kiss you with a beard.

"Sorry. It's temporary, I promise." Ciel stated with a small smile. "Honestly, I'm surprised that you even tried."

"Stupid beard or no, you're still my poochie." Answered his beau with a small blush. Admittedly, it was a bit awkward for him, with the man's appearance changed so drastically, but it was still Ciel. He could sense it with the mark on his tongue, even if they were a mile apart.

"Maybe I'll keep it, then."

"_Don't you dare."_ Alois said in response to the bluenette's teasing. He tucked the Phantomhive's tie into his suit jacket when he was done fastening it. "I like seeing all of your face."

"I do, too, but I have to admit, the glasses work for you." The watchdog replied.

"Really? I don't think that the whole _'nerdy'_ look suits me."

"Almost everything suits you."

"Are your trying to butter me up before we go or something?"

"Heavens, no. That would be a terrible idea, seeing as though we've '_heterosexual_' tonight." Ciel stated, causing a pout to appear on his boyfriend's face.

"Gross." Alois replied. "I have to keep my hands off you all evening?"

_"All_ evening." Clarified the bluenette, flicking the other man's nose. He uttered a chuckle as his lover groaned in exasperation. Wrapping his arms around Alois, he pulled him into a hug, which was eagerly returned. "It's only a few hours."

"Yeah, but what if some birds flirt with you? I can't have you being snatched up by someone prettier than me!"

"No one's prettier than you." Ciel said. "Come on, we have to get going. It's unsightly for the host to be late."

"Can I have one more kiss?" the blonde asked, pursing his lips. With a roll of his eye, the Phantomhive leaned forward and heeded the menace's request, brushing their lips together in a way that his unusual facial hair would hopefully not offend Alois too much.

"Is that everything?" inquired the watchdog as he pulled away. He watched for a moment as the blonde appeared to be thinking.

"One more thing…" Alois said finally, causing the bluenette to arch an eyebrow. A blush appeared on the Phantomhive's face, however, when he felt a hand squeezing his backside.

"_Nice."_ The blonde said with a playful smirk.

"_Jim…"_ Ciel said as sternly as possible. Despite this, the blonde was unfazed, and kept his hand firmly in place.

"One more for the road." The Macken explained. "This is mine, even if you are '_straight'_ for the evening."

"You're hopeless…"

_"You've_ got a cute butt." Alois said, taking his hand away. "Come on now, love, we must be going~!" With that, the blonde turned to walk out of the room, plucking his coat up and putting it on as he left. His beau paused for a moment to roll his eye and shake his head, but soon followed after.

The pair soon made their way to the venue, where Sebastian, Luka, and Revy were already waiting for them. The butler was dressed as he always was, while Revy wore his Warwick uniform. It was similar to the one that his older sibling wore, only the trim around the collar and cuffs of the blazer were green instead of purple. The youngest member of the household, however was dressed in a most peculiar outfit.

Because of his horns, eyes, and fingernails, it would be odd for him to be running about dressed as an ordinary human. Since this was an event for a toy company, however, the group had the ability to take the exact _opposite_ approach. They dressed him as a devil so that he could hide in plain sight in every sense of the word. The costume was modeled somewhat after Alois' demonic garb, only covering more. There was no way that the blonde menace would permit the boy to walk around with his abdomen showing. Admittedly, he was a tad embarrassed when he did so, himself!

The youngest of the Phantomhive house demons maneuvered his way through the crowd, stopping to have his head pat by older women who thought he looked cute on his way to the snack table. Unfortunately, that's where most of the guests seemed to be loitering. FUNTOM was known for its candy and the demon wanted some of it. He stood on his tip-toes, leaning over the table in an effort to better reach some of the treats, only for some man in a suit to accidentally bump him out of the way. The boy uttered a small huff at his foiled attempt and stuck out his tongue before running off again.

His attention turned to the toy section. There was a place for the kids of the other guests to play with FUNTOM toys and games. Older children seemed to commandeer the videogames while the younger kids played with other toys. Bitter rabbit was there, as well as the "PhantomFive" line of action figures that were popular in America. They were all things that Luka liked, but he had one problem. He didn't want to play with the other kids.

It was to be expected, however. He had never really played with other children, before, even when he was human. They were always a source of hurt for him, as they would chase him, hit him, and sometimes throw stones. They, along with the adults in the village, had hurt both himself and his older brother to the point of wiping them all out. He did it, too. That's how the story of how he got here began.

Now he wasn't sure what to do with this. Should he at least try? He didn't really want to, but didn't know what else to do. It would be strange for him to try and socialize with the adults, and he couldn't find Revy. He could probably find Sebastian, but he didn't want to cling to him while he was directing the caterers. His brother was working, too, so there was nothing for him to do, here. Somehow, being at the big FUNTOM event wasn't as fun as he thought it would be. Thus, he simply turned around to go find a place to sit until it was over.

It was then, however, that he felt a severe disturbance. The demon's face turned red and his eyes widened. His hands quickly covered his backside and he went in search of Sebastian. Now he definitely needed the man's help.

"_Sebastian!"_ he called, frantically making his way toward the kitchen. When he got there, the butler was talking to one of the caterers, and as much as he didn't want to interrupt, he needed to talk to the older demon. Removing one of his hands, he tugged at the end of the man's tailcoat and looked up at him with a mortified expression. It was confusing to the man when he finally granted the boy his attention.

"What is it, Luka?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. When the Macken gestured for him to come closer, he crouched down to his level and leaned in, tilting his head so that the boy could whisper what was the matter.

"There's something attached to me." Luka answered, his eyes starting to water from the embarrassment. Naturally, his caretaker was a bit taken aback by the statement.

"What?"

"There's something attatched to my butt!" the younger demon repeated. The hand that he had been using to filter his words into Sebastian's ear suddenly returned to its previous place on his backside as the boy uttered a yelp.

"_IT MOVED!"_ he declared, causing a few of the other workers to take notice. Sebastian simply smiled at them awkwardly until they went back to work before turning to face Luka again.

"Come on, let's go have a look…" he sighed, straightening his back before escorting the youngest demon of the Phantomhive household to the nearest restroom. Honestly, he didn't know what to expect. There was no foul smell emitting from the boy, so that ruled out the most obvious option, thank goodness. Once they were where no one would see the poor boy, Sebastian gave his next instruction.

"Now what is it that's '_attached'_ to you?" the man inquired. "You'll have to show me. You don't have to take your pants off; just lower them enough for me to see."

Sheepishly, the Macken did as he was told, lowering the waistband so that the mysterious attachment could be visible. The lad was extremely embarrassed, but it only got worse as he heard the butler utter a laugh before cupping his hand over his mouth. When Luka looked back of him, the man was shaking as he refrained from bursting into hysterics.

"What is it!?" demanded poor Luka, his concern growing with every passing moment. Eventually, Sebastian was able to collect himself enough to formulate a reply.

"A tail…" the man snickered. "_You have a tail." _

Sure enough, the man spoke the truth. Sprouting from Luka's tailbone was a short, stubby tail covered in brunet fur. It was only a few inches long, and looked like that of a rabbit or a sheep. The boy twisted his back in an effort to try and see the appendage, but failed miserably.

_"For real?!" _he asked, spinning around as he tried to catch sight of it. Needless to say, it was exciting for the lad. He finally had his demons' tail, and was closer to completing his demonic form. His caretaker, however, only seemed amused by the situation. He was about to start speaking again, when the stub wiggled, as if it were trying to wag itself. Immediately, Sebastian tried to stifle his laughter.

"I'll message your brother and make the appropriate modifications to your pants." He finally say. "Don't get excited. It will be odd if that thing 'wags' in public."

"_I'll try_…" Luka said distractedly, admiring his tail of his very own while the older demon pulled out a cellphone and began to type a message. Perhaps this evening wasn't going to be a bust after all.

* * *

**A/N: Aaaaand this chapter was about butts. **

**You're welcome. **

**Before I knew that this chapter was going to be taken over by Luka, I was going to call it "_Firmly Grasp It"_. I feel like I've missed an opportunity.**

**Uh... let's see... There's not much to talk about except for butts, and I don't have much more to say about them.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHETOAIUHGT  
**_

_Question: **"A question for Audrey: Why do you always wear contacts? Have you ever tried glasses?"** by LeCustard  
_

_Audrey's Answer: "I wear glasses all the time when I'm at home and stuff. I just like 'em."_


	48. What An Exhausting Effort

A grin spanning from ear to ear stretched across the blonde's face as he read the message on his phone. His baby brother was becoming a big demon, and it warmed his blackened heart. When they all got home after the party, he would have to see it. He needed to see it- at least that's what he convinced himself. Alois was practically glowing at the news, much to the confusion of his bluenette "boss".

_ "What is it?"_ asked the Phantomhive, turning to his assistant while arching an eyebrow. Alois simply continued to grin in a goofy fashion. His cheeks hurt and his faux-glass nudged themselves up his face with them, much to the dismay of the other demon. He wasn't even allowed to comment on the blonde's appearance, as it may come across as "suspect".

"Luka's tail appeared~!" the menace answered cheerfully, placing his phone back in his pocket. "My baby's growing up!"

"Oh. Well, good for him." Ciel answered, unsure as to how to respond in this situation. Internally, he was happy for the Macken boy, but he wasn't entirely certain as to how to express that. His beau simply shook his head at the other man's awkwardness, his grin never vacating his visage. They were in the middle of the room, so there wasn't much that he could say. All he could do was stand by as the Phantomhive subjected himself to the torture of socializing.

Movie stars, businessmen, politicians, as well as other kinds of people spoke with the bluenette, and Ciel had to pretend to be hospitable while the blonde helped him along with useless small-talk. It helped the Phantomhive out immensely. There was minimum awkward silence, and he didn't come across as intimidating. The usefulness of the menace seemed to reach no bounds, but it did, however, come with a price.

As they walked, occasionally, the blonde would briefly hook their pinky fingers together before quickly letting go again as if nothing happened, amoung other, less innocent acts of hijinks. Every single opportunity he found to make an innuendo or lean in close to the bluenette, he took. The blonde would lean directly over the Phantomhive in order to grab things, or in order to "listen better" to the person talking to him if they were standing on the opposite side of the watchdog. Ciel knew full-well that Alois could hear them perfectly. He was just playing his usual silly games.

Yes, the blonde took great delight in watching her majesty's guard-dog trying to refrain from scolding him; noting the slight pink that dusted his cheeks. Even with all of this, it was nearly the final straw when the Macken subtly brushed the back of his hand against the bluenette's rear. Ciel almost jumped at the action, causing confusion from the guests that they were talking to. Thank goodness that their backs were facing the confectionary table, or else someone might suspect something obscene.

"Are you alright, sir?" asked one of the pair in front of them; a businesswoman and CEO of a popular cosmetics company. They had at one point been discussing the possibility of doing a FUNTOM-themed line of makeup when the bluenette's distraction became apparent.

"Oh, yes." The Phantomhive answered. "I didn't know how close the table was, and it startled me." He stated, pretending that he had backed up too far. He put a hand behind him and swiped at his back. "I don't have food on me, do I?"

"Nope. _You look good, from where I'm standing_." Replied the menace, leaning so that he could inspect the other man's back. Ciel felt his eyebrow twitch at that particular choice of words. Damn him. "Now what were you saying about colour?" he asked, getting the conversation back on track.

"Oh, yes!" the businesswoman said. "I was wondering what colour pallet we should use for the line. Pastels seem fairly obvious, don't they?"

"Why not use some FUNTOM toys as inspiration?" suggested the bluenette. "The majority of our most famous products come in all sorts of colours, not just pastels. '_Bitter Rabbit'_, for example. There's also multiple variations of him."

"Oh! That could work! Is there any way that I could get my hands on a few samples?"

"Of course." Answered the Phantomhive with a polite smile. It wavered as he heard shuffling from the direction of the blonde menace.

"What are you doing?" he asked, turning his head. Alois had reached over, dragging one of the flower vases from the middle of the table closer to him. To the shock of the guests that they were conversing with. He plucked a colourful rose out of the vase and started nibbling on the petals.

"_Eating."_ Bluntly stated the fair-haired demon. "Nobody's touched the chocolate roses! They're too realistic-looking."

"'_Chocolate… roses'?"_ echoed the businesswoman.

"Yes, we thought it would be appropriate to place one of our new products out on the table as well." Said the FUNTOM CEO. "They're made of coloured chocolate. They're perfectly safe to eat." He added, grabbing a flower for himself. He picked off one of the petals and plopped it in his mouth before chewing.

"That's amazing! I thought that they were actual flowers!" spoke their guest. She decided to grab one, herself. Hesitantly, she took off one of its petals. Sure enough, it was made of chocolate. "Oh! What if we used these?"

"Go ahead and see what happens." The Phantomhive replied. "Just send your concepts to the office, and we'll go from there."

That conversation lasted a few more minutes before the duo finally managed to get away. Thank goodness Alois had bought them some time. Ciel had to sit down on one of the sofas off to the side of the venue to recover. His head leaned back and his eyes shut as he tried not to be overwhelmed by so much socializing. It exhausted him, really. He had done enough chatting for him for at least an entire year and he simply wanted to go home.

Bringing a hand up, he scratched his temporary beard, unused to having facial hair. It only added to his list of annoyances along with overly-talkative businesspeople and a mischievous blonde menace. The other man sat next to him, keeping an appropriate amount of space between them on the couch.

"_No homo." _He jokingly said.

"Yeah, right…" the Phantomhive replied. "Way to be subtle, by the way. Was that entirely necessary?"

"You know it." Alois answered with a laugh. "How else am I supposed to pester you?"

"I'm certain that you're creative enough to find a way that doesn't involve sexual harassment."

"It's not '_harassment_'. It's a _preview_."

Immediately, a blush appeared on the Phantomhive's cheeks. "If I'm not too exhausted by the end of this, maybe." He said.

"Exactly why I need to cop a feel now, just in case." Jested the menace, causing his beau to shake his head. Alois leaned back against the couch as well. "I wanna get home, too. I need to see Luka's tail and stuff. Also, I'm tired of these geeky glasses."

"Tell me about it. This beard is so itchy…"

"Good. Get rid of it later."

"Do you have a problem with this disguise?"

"Yes, it makes my beautiful Doberman look like a scruffy schnauzer."

Ciel simply chuckled at that statement. Perhaps Alois was right, but that was the whole point of a disguise. "Perhaps I should keep it a while longer as punishment for your previous actions." He suggested.

"No! Don't!" Alois replied, turning to face the other demon. "Kissing feels weird with a beard!"

"Volume, Jim." Reminded the Phantomhive. "We're supposed to be '_heterosexuals'_."

"Screw that!" answered his beau, speaking much more softly this time. "I want the gayest of all your gay smooches that you've ever gayily gayed!"

"Kissing a bearded man is pretty gay."

"But I'm not into that."

"You said '_the gayest smooch'_."

"But I want to smooch my Ciel, not some scruffy chav." The Macken stated, crossing his arms across his chest. "You look like a tramp and it's not cute."

"You're hurting my feelings." Answered the businessman. "I think I might cry."

"Alright. I'll grow a beard, too, and we'll see how you like it."

"Okay, okay, I'll get rid of it when we leave." Ciel insisted, sitting up straight in his seat.

"That's what I _thought_." Alois answered. He opened his mouth to speak again, but cut himself short as they were approached by another gentleman.

He was grouchy-looking; far grouchier than Ciel could ever appear to be. Regardless, when the Phantomhive laid eyes upon the man, he smiled. Or rather, it wasn't so much of a "smile", as it was an evil smirk. Ciel reclined in his chair as the man stopped in front of them.

"_Phantomhive_." Said the man.

"_Fairburn."_ Said the bluenette, glaring up at him. His beau, however, looked at both of them with a confused expression. What was going on?

* * *

**A/N: Whelp.  
**

**I wanted to go further, but I found this cool documentary on netflix that I want to watch and I have to prioritize, I'm sorry.**

**I haven't been answering my PM box that well at all, lately... I'm better at answering stuff on my tumble. On here, I just let it sit for some reason... So if you sent me a message and I haven't replied, I'm sorry! I just get really distracted...**

**Eh... A lot of the questions lately are repeats of the same ones, and it's something that I'm going to answer eventually, so I'm not answering them at all. That's why "Character Shet" hasn't had too much content over the past few chapters. **

**If you wanna know about Dan, Kris, or Preston, you're gonna have to keep reading. I'm ain't tellin' you shit at the moment, and all of the inquiry is starting to make me a bit reluctant.**

**It's like how being asked to do something that you were already planning on doing makes you immediately _not_ want to do it. Sucks, too, 'cause they're intense arcs. I'll just get too 'em when I get to 'em, so _chill_, you guys. **

**I mean _really._..**

**It's gotten to the point where if it's mentioned in the review at all; anything along the lines of _"HATE Y U NO TELL US ABOUT DANKRIS/PRESTON?!"_, I just ignore it...**

**Let's see... what else? Oh, I have questions...**

**_"Question for Hate-san, what house do you think the Sensational Sevens would be in, should they attend Weston(the school from the manga)?" __by Colleen Lylac_  
**

**Hmmmnnn... Kris, Dan, Travis, and Audrey would be Violet Wolf; while Ciel, Alois, and Preston would be in Sapphire Owl. None of them meet any of the qualifications for the other houses... Their interests and talents either seem to be arts-related or academics-related. Kris and Audrey _might_ qualify for Emerald Lion, but that's not where their true interests lie...**

**Not really a question, but:**

_**"HateWeasel! I was in the store talking to some friends and I quoted you and this dude behind us yelled 'HATEWEASEL IS THAT YOU' and I was laughing so hard I would've talked to him but unfortunately I'm antisocial but I thought you'd like to hear that aaaannndd that's all I have to say..." by BigBossandScorpius**_

**WHERE WAS THIS?! LEMME LOVE YOU ALL.**

**Anyways, Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Luka, how do you feel about your tail? Is it like what you expected?"** by KatieKaboom713  
_

_Luka's Answer: "It's **awesome!** I love it! It's not as long as Jim's or Ciel's, but it's still real cool! I can't use it too well, though..."_


	49. Beginnings of Bad Business

The FUNTOM toy company; It has been the "Candy King" in terms of how far and wide it had spread within the span of a few years, since it was founded, as well as its quality and innovative products. It had been that way for many, many years, until other cooperate giants stepped onto the scene. There was _Mattel _and _Fischer-Price_, but there was also _Fairburn_, which was also the name of the man currently standing before the Phantomhive.

Now Fairburn had always been a rival to FUNTOM. The Fairburn family had been making toys for a bit longer, but couldn't keep up with the playfulness and creative-thinking behind FUNTOM. Thus, the Fairburns had always stayed two steps behind the Phantomhives. Of course, the bluenette wasn't threatened by this man! He had no spark. He was _just_ a businessman, and that's all he knew how to be. Fairburn's eyes hadn't seen anything worth seeing. He doesn't know his market, and he isn't inspired in the slightest.

He's a businessman with a boring suit and an obnoxious tie in an effort to appear "fun". Fairburn was hardly the type of person who should be running a toy company. He was a rich man in his mid-thirties who had done nothing in life but try to wallow in as much money as he could. How could he ever hope to outshine a company like FUNTOM with that?

"_Phantomhive_." He said as he stopped in front of the bluenette where he and the Macken sat. Fairburn paid no attention to the menace as he focused his glare on Ciel. The Phantomhive simply leaned back in his seat, folding his arms as he looked up at the man with a bemused smirk.

"_Fairburn."_ He replied. "So nice that you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." The other man answered. "It' always wise to scope out the competition."

"Is that so?" Ciel inquired, as if he didn't already know. He had paid several look-ranking employees of Fairburn's to pass secrets onto him. Even factory workers, who would give him detailed descriptions about how each device worked were spies for FUNTOM. He had done this with several other companies as well. Ciel Phantomhive did nothing half-heartedly, when it came to competition, and with his own experience in espionage, it was too easy to stay ahead of the market.

"Well, I do hope you're having an alright time." The Phantomhive continued. "I would hate for you to be bored."

"It's impossible to be bored when _you're_ involved." Fairburn stated, his eyes averting from the demon's intense gaze. Somehow, they ended up on the blonde, alerting the younger gentleman's attention. Alois sat up, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to do in this sort of situation. Ordinarily, Ciel and Sebastian would be the ones to handle business matters, yet here he was.

"Oh, you haven't met." The bluenette said, following his rival's gaze. "This is my personal assistant, Jim Macken. Jim, this it _Ferris Fairburn_, the owner of Fairburn toys."

"Pleased to meet you…" spoke his associate, somewhat made uncomfortable with the situation. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but he would have to roll with it, regardless.

"_Quite_." Mister Fairburn replied, turning away from the blonde. Alois furrowed his brow at the man's rudeness, but couldn't say anything to defend himself at the moment.

"So, was there anything in particular that you wished to discuss?" inquired the Phantomhive, annoyed at his rival's speech as well. Fairburn wouldn't be so rude, had he known what Alois was capable of. Perhaps the bluenette should have introduced him as his "bodyguard" instead.

"Not really." Said the other businessman. "I was just curious as to why you were sitting over here away from your guests."

"I'm not good with people." Ciel replied. "I've never really been in good health, so I get a little winded, easily. Socialising for too long tuckers me out a bit."

"Surely you can manage. It _is_ your job, isn't it?" asked Fairburn, putting his nose in the air. "If you can't handle one evening, then how can you handle that?"

"I would be more worried about myself, if I were you, Fairburn." The Phantomhive answered, his eye narrowing. "After all, wouldn't it be beneficial to you if something were to happen to me? If you don't pay attention to your own affairs, things can change drastically right under your nose."

"Are you _suggesting _something?" the other man said with a deep frown, leaning forward as he glared at the bluenette. Immediately, he attempt at menacing was interrupted by a true expert in the field as Alois stood up. His chest was out and his shoulders back as he stared at the man coldly. Ferris leaned back again as his attention refocused on the blonde. Somehow he was more intimidating while standing up. A smile eventually graced Alois' face as he spoke.

"If that's all you came to discuss, then we really ought to be going." He said in a friendly manner. "Mister Phantomhive has a party to host!" As Fairburn opened his mouth to retort, the watchdog stood up from his seat.

"He's right. I'm so sorry, Mister Fairburn." Ciel stated, straightening his jacket. "Please do enjoy the rest of the evening." With that, he simply followed the blonde as they both walked away, leaving a baffled businessman behind them. The man's eyes narrowed as he watched their backs, rubbing his chin as he pondered the two. Something was obviously amiss with them, but not for the reasons that he had convinced himself. There was no way that he could ever imagine their true faces, but that is a story for another time.

* * *

**A/N: Ouch, that's short. I'll try to update again later today.  
**

**Hopefully I don't take too long. Hellsing is finally premiering on Toonami tonight and I'm excited. **

**2 am tho. That's when I usually post!**

**Ah, this arc should be interesting. I'm gonna try something I haven't done before. It might flop, it might not. Who knows?**

**Questions?**

**"This really doesn't have to do with the chapter but... Your final thoughts on Book of Circus?" by bluejellyfishOuO**

**I haven't finished it! I still need to watch episode nine, but I'm a baby. I'm the type who cries at the end of everything, and just some of the gifs on tumblr make me tear up a bit. It was bad enough just reading it, but now I get my heart sliced open with paper and have lemonade dumped over it to ANIMATION.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"**__**Ciel and Alois, How does Luka know that your "Tails" are longer than his?"** by MiloSheba_

_Ciel's Answer: "I don't think I like your insinuation..."_

_Alois' Answer: "Because he's seen our tails? We've done some practice before at home, and he's watched, so he's seen our demonic forms. It's a little embarrassing, actually, since mine used to be kind of... Anyway, our tails are longer than his, just like how we're taller. I wonder how tiny it is! I bet it's cute like him~!"__  
__  
_


	50. Wivelihood?

"_Take off the beard." _Grumbled the blonde as he rubbed the Phantomhive's cheeks while wearing a vain attempt at a scowl. The bluenette fur covering his beau's face felt odd against his fingertips, making him want to rub harder. Meanwhile, the man whose whiskers were being assaulted grinned the best that he could while having his face squished.

"Why? We're not home yet." Ciel answered, chuckling as the blonde snorted in response.

The Phantomhive's were on their way home from the event, having finally wrapped things up. It was late at night and the youngest two members of the family were currently asleep on the car ride home. Revy sat in the front seat with his sunglasses off and carefully tucked into the pocket on his blazer, while Luka sat in the back with the demonic duo, leaning against his oldest brother as he uncomfortable sat with his new tail. Alois sat between him and the head of the household, while their butler drove the vehicle; softly chortling at the conversation happening behind him from his own seat.

"But I want to see your face!" Alois declared. "You look like an old man…"

"I do not." Insisted the Phantomhive, arching an eyebrow as his beau continued to sulk. "Does it really bother you that much?"

"Yes. It's very offensive." Stated the menace, causing the other man to shake his head. With that, he reverted his appearance back to normal and watched as the blonde's pout turned into a grin.

"Oh, hello, there, sweetie~!" he called, rubbing the Phantomhive's freshly smoothed cheeks before pecking him on the lips.

"Why do you care so much about it?" inquired the bluenette, rolling his eyes as his beau took his hands away, bringing one to the head of the smaller boy leaned up against him on his opposite side. Alois only grinned as he stroked his brother's hair soothingly, watching as the younger demon nuzzled into him more.

"Same reason why you would care if I grew a beard. I think you're cuter this way." Alois answered. His free arm now rested on the back of the seats, wrapping around his boyfriend's shoulders.

"I'm not _'cute'_, to begin with." Ciel stated, folding his arms. "Aren't you the one who's always telling me that your classmates think I'm in the mafia, or something?"

"Yeah, but they don't know you, and don't know that you're actually a total dweeby sweetheart." The blonde teased, causing the man in the driver's seat to chuckle a bit. "See? Sebastian agrees with me!"

"I wear an eyepatch, dress in suits, and never smile. How is that _'cute'_?" asked the Phantomhive.

"Because when you do smile, it's a million times more precious, and you're very shy. It's adorable. Are you upset that I don't see you as a '_villain_' or something?"

"I work hard to maintain my reputation, you know…"

"Well, you kind of screwed that up when you started dating a dumb blonde like me." Stated his beau. "Accept it."

"You're not '_dumb'_. You're brilliant…" Ciel replied, watching as the other demon's grin widened.

"See? The moment I put myself down, you come out with that." The menaced accused. "Total. Sweetheart. It's so cute. Hey, Sebastian, isn't our head of house just precious?"

"I'm not certain about that, but he certainly is kind to the 'family' that he's made." The butler mused, earning a flustered glare from his master at the back of his head.

"Oh? A family? Don't tell me I'm the _'mum'_…" Alois replied, furrowing his brow.

"Well, from your current position, you're infatuated with the head of the household, so I'm afraid it might appear that way, sir." Answered Sebastian.

"I'm not his wife!" the menace protested, a blush appearing on his face. It was hidden by darkness, but the other demons knew, especially the man seated next to him, who wore a similar hue. On his opposite side, however, there was a stirring. His voice had caused the youngest of the Macken brothers to wake up.

"Jim?" he sleepily called, rubbing his eye. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Luka. Sebastian's being _weird."_ Alois answered. "We're almost home, but you can still sleep a while longer."

"Wha'd Sebastian do this time?" asked Luka, finally opening his eyes to look up at his brother.

"I didn't say anything strange in the slightest." Sebastian stated, a smirk on his face and his eyes on the road. "I simply said that because of Alois' relationship with the young master, he has a similar role to that of the lady of the house."

"And_ I_ told_ you_ that I'm not his wife!"

"Yeah, Sebastian, that's kind of weird." The brunet said, nuzzling into his brother's side as he got comfortable again. "There's not gonna be a lady of the house, because Jim is going to be Ciel's husband."

"L-Luka?!" Alois called, surprised and embarrassed by the youngest demon's words. He even took his arm from around the Phantomhive, in his shared embarrassment with him, as he was unsure of what to say.

"Ain't you gonna marry Ciel someday?" the brunet asked curiously, shifting to look up at the blonde again.

Both the eldest Macken and the Phantomhive sat quietly as they both scrambled for something to reply with. They refused to look at each other, and fidgeted in their seats at the awkwardness of the question. Soon, however, the blonde menace had to spout something.

"Uhm, I dunno if we're really ready for that, just yet." He said, his face completely enflamed.

"But you already act like husbands, so why not?" Luka inquired, causing the man in the front seat to nearly choke as he desperately tried not to laugh while the remaining demons simply didn't know what to do.

"Uh… I… I dunno…" Alois answered, rubbing the back of his neck. He honestly didn't know what to say, as he didn't know the bluenette's opinion on the matter. With that, he glanced over toward his partner, mouthing the words: "_help me_" at him. After a few moments, the man nodded, cupping the blonde's hands between his own and leaning so that he could look at Luka.

"If we decide to, we will, but right now we're happy with the way things are." Ciel said. "Aren't we, Jim?"

"Uh, yeah! Yeah, we still love each other, but we aren't sure if we want to take that step yet." Stated the blonde. In all honesty, however, he would be more than happy to, but the thought filled him with embarrassment! Thus, it would have to stay a "girlish daydream"; at least for now, that is. Surely, Ciel would find the idea ridiculous and unnecessary.

"Alright?" he asked while offering a smile. Luka simply glanced over at the bluenette before turning his attention back to the blonde with a nod. With that, he nuzzled back into his brother's side, hugging the menace as he got comfortable.

"'Kay." he answered. Alois wrapped the arm that wasn't being held by the bluenette around him and chuckled as the boy completely slumped against him in the process. To his surprise, however, one of the hands of the Phantomhive let go of his own before Ciel rested his arm on the back of the seats just as the menace had earlier. A giggle escaped the blonde as the other man gripped one of his shoulders while his arm wrapped around both of them.

"You can lean on me, too, if you want, Ciel." Alois teased, his cheeks still a bit pink from the prior conversation.

"I'm fine." His beau answered, looking out the window.

He sat to the blonde's right with his left arm around the man while his right hand held the blonde's. Even though he wasn't looking, he rubbed circles on the side of Alois' palm with his thumb. He didn't want to be too affectionate, seeing as though Sebastian was still watching them in the rear-view mirror. The man was still grinning to himself at the conversation, as well as his master's actions. Honestly, the Phantomhive could be so ridiculous, sometimes.

Alois smiled and lifted their intertwined hands, bringing the back of the bluenette's to his lips. Immediately, Ciel turned to look at him and not even he could bear not to grin even just a little bit when the blonde leaned his head on his shoulder. The Macken pulled Luka with him, slightly, being careful not to wake the small demon. Luka did stir a bit, adjusting so that he was comfortable again, but Alois hadn't expected to see what he did.

Sebastian had fixed the boy's pants so that his tail would slip through comfortably. As Luka shifted, his tail really quickly flicked from side to side as he got settled. When Alois saw that, he had to detach his hand from Ciel's and clasp it over his own mouth.

"_Oh my god!"_ the blonde said through his fingers. His speech was muffled, but he could still be heard clearly by the Phantomhive and his butler. Alois turned his head so that he could bury his face in the bluenette's shoulder as his body shook from trying to contain himself. After all, he didn't want to wake the small demon that had sparked this reaction. "_That was the cutest thing I've ever seen!"_

Both Ciel and Sebastian chuckled at the man, amused by his reaction. Ciel allowed the menace to continue to bury his face in his shoulder as he shook his head. First his beau was fixated on ridding the Phantomhive of facial hair, and now he was a mess because his brother's tail wiggled. That sort of silliness, however, was one of the things he loved about him. Ciel allowed himself to rest his head on top of the blonde's for a moment, but it was shattered when the butler in the driver's seat spoke.

"Something tells me that Alois would be the type of parent who dotes on their children." Sebastian mused, earning an embarrassed reaction from the demonic duo. They separated quickly before Alois had something to say.

"_For the last time, I'm not his wife!" _

* * *

**A/N: Filler. Definitely, definitely filler.  
**

**I needed to somehow get away from the party, y'know? Allude into something else...  
**

**Anyways, what did we learn?**

**Ciel and Alois are dorks, Luka's adorable, and Sebastian's a smartass.**

**That's the moral of the story. **

**Questions?**

_**"What's your Tumblr name Hate?! I need to see the fanart..." by BigBossandScorpius**_

**My tumblr name is "hateweasel", just like on here. I also have a Ciel RP blog for DLTD called "DLTD-devildog".**

**Shitty name, I know. I'll probably change it; if I still use it, that is...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"Sebastian have had male and female bedwarmers? I would say "lovers" but you don't seem to understand the term."** by KrazynKuki  
_

_Sebastian's Answer: "No, I don't keep any. I don't understand lust for the flesh, so I'm not too interested, you see. My lust lies in something else entirely..."_


	51. Lapdog

Phantomhive Manor: the esteemed household to the Phantomhive family, whose dark legacy continues to persist, and even flourish, to this day. In fact, the household is now a nest for demons and their associates, housing four of them, along with a revenant. This fact is unknown to the outside world, however, and it simply appears to be a stately mansion on the outskirts of London.

Demons or no, this was not the house of monsters. The creatures of Phantomhive house were friendly, making bonds with humans, and even with each other. For example, the head of house was in love with another member of the household. It was his partner and boyfriend, a Mister Jim "Alois Trancy" Macken. Even with this pleasant atmosphere, the manor did have its share of rats.

Ciel could tell as he stared out the window of his office and across the lawn. There was a strange car parked outside the gate and it had been there for hours. That was unusual. No one ever came near the Phantomhive estate, much less park in front of it. The bluenette dug into one of the drawers on his desk and pulled out a small telescope. Placing it up to his eye, he managed to get a better look.

Two men in suits were in the car. One of them was watching the house with a pair of binoculars, and the other was eating a cheeseburger. Ciel wasn't entirely sure who they worked for, but they were certainly watching his house.

"That can't be a good sign…" he muttered aloud to himself as he continued to look for hints as to the men's identity, or at least who they were working for. They weren't government officials. They didn't have the right wardrobe or cars. For the same reason, they weren't with the police. They obviously were with someone with some money, though. That certainly narrowed it down.

Ciel leaned back in his chair and put the telescope away as he sensed the blonde menace approaching. Alois always had to say "goodbye" before going to school. It was routine for him and he felt odd when he skipped the venture. The menace casually opened the door without knocking before stepping inside. His bag was swung over his shoulder as he made his way toward the Phantomhive.

"I'm about to head for school." He stated, pausing as the bluenette turned his chair around to face him. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"We have '_guests'."_ Ciel answered, passing the telescope to the other man to peek into. His beau placed it up to his eye and peered out the window with it.

"And to whom do we owe the honour?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I've got a few ideas." The bluenette said, turning toward his computer and turning it on. "I'll tell you, once I'm certain. Try to be careful when you leave, though."

"I will." Alois stated, putting the telescope down and peering over the other demon's shoulder. "Checking your stocks?"

"No. My competitors'." answered his beau. "That's as good of a place as any to start. If it's what I think it is, this shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Alright. Tell me if you need anything." He said. Instinctively, Ciel met him halfway as the blonde leaned in to peck the other man on the lips, as per their routine. Alois pulled back and grinned. "Bye, baby. Don't be too lonely without me, today!"

"Will do." The bluenette replied. "Love you." He added as farewell, immediately freezing as he registered what exactly he said. He sounded so _domestic_ and just knew that the blonde was grinning from ear to ear on his way out the door. He was right, too. The Macken paused when he grabbed the doorknob with his face almost hurting from his smile. Opening the door, he looked back at the Phantomhive before replying.

"_I love you too, muffin~!"_ Alois cooed with a toothy grin. He then proceeded to close the door behind him, giggling at his boyfriend's affectionate gesture as he walked down the hall.

It would appear that the Phantomhive was starting to pick a few things up from him. The thought absolutely tickled the blonde menace. It was said that people who are close tend to do that, but seeing it firsthand was incredibly amusing. Whether he liked it or not, Ciel was considered to be absolutely adorable by the Macken, especially when he revealed his softer side.

Alois' thoughts lingered on this all the way to the garage, and even as he started the car to leave. He backed out and then proceeded toward the front gates, only to recall another important detail; The mansion was being watched. As he drove by, Alois slowed down his vehicle in order to look at the two goons parked at the entrance, who hastily pretended not to be up to no good. Through the tinted windows of the Phantomhive family's Mercedes Benz, the fair-haired demon was able to make out a few details. There was a sticker on the other car's window. It said "Fairburn Toys".

"_Son of a bitch_…" Alois muttered to himself. Awkwardly, he reached into his pockets while still buckled in and pulled out his cell phone. It wasn't a wise decision to talk while driving, but Alois would have to make an exception. Fortunately, he had Ciel on speed dial. Even though he just saw the man, he dialed the phone with one hand and placed it up to his ear before resuming to keep his eyes on the road.

"_Jim?"_ curiously answered the voice on the other end. "What do you need?"

"I got an idea of who the two goons out front are working for." Alois stated. "They had a Fairburn Toys sticker on the window. Honestly, are they even _trying?" _

"That's just _sad."_ Replied the bluenette smugly. "I think I'll leave them be, for a bit. I'll launch my counter-attack, soon, however."

"I can't wait." Chuckled his beau. He was genuinely curious as to how the Phantomhive was going to handle this. He wondered if he would use some form or force or trickery. Perhaps both. Only Ciel knew. "Be sure to save me front row seats."

"I will." Ciel replied. There was a brief pause, as both parties waited for the other to say something. In the end, the bluenette opted to continue with: "I… uh… I love you."

His cheeks tinted pink at the sentiment, but he wasn't sure how to indicate that he was done talking with Alois over the phone. Ordinarily, they texted as the Phantomhive preferred it. Ciel's embarrassment only progressed as he heard the other man speak with a smile wrapping around his words.

"Love you, too, Poochie." The Macken said. "Bye~!"

With that, they both hung up and Ciel placed his head on his desk. What happened to the Ciel Phantomhive that killed Nazis, terrorists, and gang members? What happened to the fearsome watchdog who would tear to shreds any obstacle that stood in his way? Nothing. He simply transformed into a lapdog whenever he was talking to his blonde. It was embarrassing. The bluenette was turning into some lovey-dovey fool! The worst part, however, was that it was voluntary. In a way, Ciel genuinely liked it, no matter how bashful it made him. Still, it somehow bruised his ego a bit. He was going to have to destroy something in order to feel manly again.

Fortunately, Mister Fairburn had offered himself up on a silver platter. So her was going to bring the fight to the Phantomhive household? Very well. That means that the bluenette would play by Phantomhive rules. Ciel sat up again and turned his attention back toward the computer in order to hatch his plan. A small sigh escaped his lips as he tried to forget about everything else.

"_Love_…" he said aloud to himself, still a bit flustered. It was true, he did indeed love the Macken, and unapologetically so, but it still embarrassed him to me rendered so docile. Then again, there was a bright side that made him smile a bit. Little displays of affection always seemed to make the blonde especially happy, so the certainly couldn't be all bad.

* * *

**A/N: Grossly short and hella lame, but I wanted to update tonight before I book it to finish this essay tomorrow.  
**

**It's gonna suck~!**

**Hopefully once that's done, though, I can actually focus on this.**

**I want some grittier stuff, to be honest, but this will have to do. I want a murder. Like, a serious, intense MURDER arc with lots of drama.  
**

**Love that shit.**

**Anyway, questions?**

_**"To Hate-Senpai, what is you're favorite part you've wrote in all of DLTD and DLTP so far?" by Guest**_

**My favourite part is in Devils Like To Dance, where Ciel and Alois have their fight in Rio de Jeneiro. It's short, has lots of "feels", and I think it's kind of eye-opening as to exactly how far they've both come from the start. It's the first time you really see both Ciel admitting that he was royally wrong, and the first time that Alois really stands up for himself. Alois' is pretty interesting, because if you compare his sense of value in himself from earlier chapters, he's gone from being "worthless and weak" to "too good for this bullshit", which is sort of foreshadowing to his part in the final arc.**

**Ciel, however, shows how much empathy he has come to posses, and how he is willing to set his ego aside for the person that he cares about. That's a really big, scary thing for him. He's terrified of being "weak", but for Alois, he's willing to ignore that in favor of Alois' interests and well-being. He almost became a super-bad demon-thingy while fighting a dragon for this guy, later on. He's like, stupid in love with him. **

**I just love that arc. It's the dynamic between learning self-worth and self-love, while also learning self-sacrifice. The climax is my favourite chapter out of all of them. That's chapter 395, where people get punched.**

_**"Hey Hate I just wanted to say you are really cool and that your on my list of awesome authors and that I have been completely hooked on this series since I read the first chapter of DLTD, but here's my question, how do you deal with writers block I never seem to know what to do when I get it?" by Scarlett Warrior**_

**I do a couple of things. First, I take a break and just don't think about it much. I do things that I wouldn't normally do, like go for a walk or for a drive, sometimes in new places. It's refreshing, and you might see something new that makes you go "_that's IT!_" Also, read the news and consume media. Draw inspiration from other sources. Just don't be a douche and plagerise shit. Sometimes, you gotta break out of your routine a bit to get some new data to go on. That's what a lot of storytelling is. You take information from around you, process it, and put it together in a new way to tell a story. **

**That feels like kind of a weird answer, but that's all I've got...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARRACTER SHET **_

_Question: **"sebastian... what do you lust after?"** by FanficceptionWriter  
_

_Sebastian's Answer: "Souls."_

_0000000000000000_

_Question: **"Question for Alois and Cielykinns; What would you name your child (If you ever have one that is) Girl name? Boy name? Also, Sebastian do you feel your making progress on the whole understanding love thing? Or is it still just an attachment of sorts?"** by BigBossandScorpius_

_Ciel's Answer: "I have no idea. I would have to discuss it with Jim, first."_

_Alois' Answer: "I dunno. I'd have to talk to Ciel. I bet he'd go for some witty reference to something. I think it's a bit early to be thinking about that stuff, anyway."_

_Sebastian's Answer: "I'm not sure. I don't understand 'romantic' love, like the one that my master has with Alois, but I do get the feeling that this 'attachment' I feel toward the members of the household may be at least akin to something like 'love'. It's almost like a 'family', isn't it?"_


	52. Free Parking

For most of the day, Alois wondered as to what the bluenette was plotting. How exactly was he going to get back at Fairburn? Knowing Ciel, it was going to be good. Hour after hour, class after class, the thought would come and go for the menace. It eventually evaded him, that is, until it was time for him to leave campus.

Alois casually strolled through the parking lot toward his car. His shoes thumped against the pavement with each step, as he looked forward to turning on the car's heater. It was getting colder. While he was a demon, he still didn't care for that too much. Since he was without gloves, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his beau's coat and fiddled with his car key. He was almost there. Just a few more feet and he was home free.

Suddenly, however, he stopped. The Macken felt the presence of someone approaching him. It was human, thankfully, but it probably wasn't good. He simply waited for whoever it was to get close before turning around. When he did, he came face to face with two men dressed similarly to the ones before.

"Oh, that's right…" he thought, recalling that the Phantomhive household and its members were currently under surveillance.

"Hello." The blonde greeted finally. "Can I help you with something?"

"We're with the police." One of the men stated, almost making the menace laugh aloud at the blatant lie. "We would like to ask you a few questions."

"Shoot." Alois replied. "Go ahead, but do hurry. I'd like to go home."

"We know that you live under the roof of a certain Damian Phantomhive." One of the men said, unknowing of the Phantomhive head's true name. "What is your association with him?"

"Why do you ask?" inquired the menace. "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"Not at all. We just need to know." Both men seemed taken aback when the demon scoffed at them. They furrowed their brows in confusion.

"Impersonating a police officer is a_ crime_, you know." Alois said bluntly, looking at the now shocked flunkies with a bored expression. "I don't have to tell you anything. More importantly, why is Fairburn having you _stalk_ the Phantomhives?"

"Sir, we have no idea what you're talking about…" one of the drones lied unsuccessfully. Alois could tell by the way that he took a half-step back that they hadn't anticipated this.

"If you say so." Spoke the menace with a shrug. With that, he turned to walk to his awaiting vehicle. "It doesn't matter what you say. I'm going home."

"Wait!" called out his harassers. "We're not done talking to you!"

"But I'm _done_ talking to _you_. Good day." Suddenly, the Macken felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to wrinkle his nose in disgust. "What?"

"You need to tell us what your association with Phantomhive is, or else you're under arrest!" spoke the man with his hand on the demon's shoulder. It was a hollow threat, so Alois didn't take it seriously in the slightest.

"Oh? Can't you tell?" inquired the menace, his tone positively dripping with sarcasm. "I'm his concubine." He stated before tugging this shoulder free and unlocking the door to his car.

"Now, if you'll be so kind as to cease your blatant harassment, I'm going home." He added, opening the door before stepping inside. He sat in the driver's seat before igniting the engine, glancing through the tinted windows momentarily in order to gauge the two flunkie's reactions. They weren't doing anything. They simply stared at the glass. _"Pssh._" Uttered the menace. These two idiots wanted him to believe that they were with the police? Ridiculous.

Thus, the Mercedes took off, driving through the parking lot toward the exit before heading in the direction of Phantomhive Manor. He plucked his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly punched in the number of his "boss" before placing the device up to his ear, keeping his other hand on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road.

"Hello?" answered the voice of the Phantomhive on the other end.

"Hey." greeted Alois. "Our visitors had friends. They tried to talk to me in the parking lot. They said they were with the police, and wanted to know my connection with you." A smile appeared on his face as he heard Ciel chuckle.

"Morons…" the watchdog replied. "I'm almost done setting the pieces in place. They shouldn't bother you again."

"What are you gonna do?" asked Alois. "I'm dying to know!"

"What would any large cooperation do to a smaller one?"

"Ooh, you're so bad." Giggled the menace, upon piecing together what his boyfriend meant. "You're not messing around, are you?"

"They've tried to set foot into my kingdom and that is something that I can't forgive." Ciel stated. "Also, it would be problematic if they discovered out little _'condition'."_

"True. I can't wait to see how this turns out." Alois took the phone away from his ear momentarily as he turned onto another street. "Sorry, are you still there?"

"Yeah. Are you driving?"

"Yep. Sorry. I probably shouldn't be talking, but I wanted to tell you as soon as possible."

"I appreciate it." Said the watchdog. "Don't wreck the car again, we just got the Royce replaced, and if you end up having to drive that, Sebastian will lose it."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to make him cry." Jested the menace. "I'll be there to return the car, soon. Promise~!"

"Good to hear." The bluenette chuckled. "Just come home like you normally would. They can't touch you without having us call the police."

"Or worse, take care of them ourselves."

"That's the plan that Sebastian wanted to go with."

"It's quicker, but this way is a lot more like your style." Alois answered. "I'm almost there. See you then. Love you~!"

"Bye, Jim." Said Ciel, pressing the "end call" button. He was just glad that the Macken didn't make him hang up first. Somehow, it was just bizarrely embarrassing for him. Ciel knew he had done much more embarrassing and intimate things with the fair-haired demon, yet he couldn't get over the domesticity of the action. Perhaps Luka was right. Perhaps they did act like a married couple. The Phantomhive's face flushed at the thought.

Quickly, however, he shook it away. He was awaiting a very important phonecall, after all. It could take minutes, hours, or days, but his opponent would eventually notice what he had done and what he had been continuing to do, even at that very moment. Soon, Fairburn would find out what happens when he got too close to the Phantomhives, and it was a mistake that he will be incapable of making again.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is boring...  
**

**This arc is boring...**

**I want murder... Like, not even a murder, I just want something dark.**

**These two have been too goody-goody, lately... They need a bit more of their Sadistic nature back, I think. It's still there, but the moment for it to come out hasn't presented itself yet.**

**Ah, I wanna finish this arc~!**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	53. Thieving Rich Bastards

The sun began to rise over London, painting the sky with brilliant reds, yellows, blues, and purples as it greeted the new day. The city was lively as always, while the early-birds started their days in accordance to their own personal routines. Unfortunately, there was one person whose routine was disrupted as he was awoken at this time. Ferris Fairburn usually awoke much later, but he had torn from his sleep by an urgent call from the main office of Fairburn toys.

"What's going on?!" he demanded as he walking down the hallways of the building, trying to get to the bottom of things. "What's happening?!"

"Sir, we just don't know what to do!" said one of his financial advisors. "Our stock is being bought up like crazy! We're being _greenmailed, _sir!"

"Then buy it back!" barked Fairburn as he and his posse stepped into his office. "Whose responsible for this?!"

"We can't! We don't have the funds! We'll go bankrupt if we try!"

"I think you should take a look at this, mister Fairburn." Added another one of the men in suits tailing him. He handed the man a slip of paper as Fairburn sat down behind his desk. The CEO furrowed his brow as he took the page and looked it over. The area between his eyebrows wrinkled as a snarl appeared on his face.

"That bastard…" he hissed, crumpling the bad news in his hand as he held it. Ferris looked up. "Someone arrange me a meeting with Phantomhive right now!"

Ciel's plan had been put into motion, even while he slept at his home on the outskirts of the city. It was the weekend, so he and his beau were well intent on sleeping in. While Fairburn panicked, the demonic duo were peacefully bundled up underneath their warm comforter with their limbs tangled together, as per usual. Even still, they were interrupted as well, with a gentle knock on the bedroom door.

"Master? Are you awake?" called the butler on the other side, causing the younger demons to stir. With a sigh, the Phantomhive sat up slightly and rubbed his eye of sleep. The blonde next to him, however, was far more reluctant to awake, so he simply kept his arms around the bluenette's middle with a small whine. After a few moments, Ciel spoke.

"I am now." He answered. "What is it?" With that response, Sebastian opened the door, slightly, peeking his head inside.

"Fairburn's people are on the phone." The butler stated. "They want to know if they can arrange a meeting with you sometime today."

Ciel scoffed at the news with a smirk. He had been expecting this. Mister Fairburn had noticed what was being done to him, and was going to beg for the FUNTOM CEO to stop. After all, it wasn't in the capacity of a Phantomhive to merely let someone go with a few scrapes. Oh, no. Ciel was going to crush Mister Fairburn, and take his company away from him. A chuckle bubbled from the bluenette's throat at the thought.

"Tell him I'm busy." Ciel answered. "I want him to sweat it out a bit longer while everything else is being put together."

"As you wish." Answered Sebastian with a small chuckle. He turned and closed the door in order to pass on the message, leaving the two other demons alone again. Ciel laid back down and pulled the blankets back up over his shoulder before draping an arm over the blonde menace beneath them. Before long, the other demon in the room giggled.

"Good morning." Alois said, tilting his head up in order to kiss the other man's cheek before putting it back again. "You're not just going to go for a company takeover, are you? Otherwise, you would've just gone to the meeting."

"Of course not." The Phantomhive replied. "I'm going to ruin his life."

"You're so bad." His beau mused, sighing through his nose. A grin was on his face but his eyes hadn't opened yet, as he was still reluctant to do so. "Are you bored or something?"

"A little. Also, I've been meaning to get rid of him for a while." Answered the bluenette. "This gives me an excuse to finally get around to it."

"You have weird hobbies."

"Perhaps, but you still find them interesting, don't you?"

"Yeah, because I'm evil like you." Alois stated.

"No, you're not. You're sweet in comparison.

"You're sweet, too, but you just don't fuck around when people get in your way." Alois replied. "How long are you going to make him wait?"

"That depends entirely on how long it takes for the Yard as well as the media to process what I've given them." The bluenette said, stroking the flaxen locks on his lover's head. "Perhaps sometime this afternoon?"

"I can't wait. This is going to be good." The Macken said, relaxing into the Phantomhive's touch. They both eventually dozed off again and slept for a few hours until the pair decided that it was time to get up.

By then, the answering machine at the manor had blown up with messages from Fairburn Toys as the company was sent into a tizzy over what the bluenette had done. The demons got dressed, and but this time, Ciel had gotten another phone call; one from the yard. He grinned as he set the phone back down on the receiver before dialing it again. Now, he would accept that meeting with Fairburn. Everything was set in place for him to completely ruin him.

When Fairburn arrived, he practically stormed into the manor, passing the butler, only to realise that he needed the man to escort him through. He had no idea where he was going in the strange place. Sebastian led him to the drawing room, where the demonic duo lied in wait for him. They both assumed their disguises once more as Ciel sat on the sofa with his beau standing behind him. He smiled as his enemy walked in, putting on a friendly façade that masked his true intent.

"Ah, Mister Fairburn, so good to see you again." He greeted. "Now, what is it that you wished to discuss? From the sound and frequency of your calls, I assume it's urgent?"

"You know damn well how urgent it is!" spoke Fairburn, his face red with rage. "Stop buying up all of my companies stock! You're ruining us!"

"That's just how business goes, Mister Fairburn. If you can't keep hold of your company, then it probably isn't able to last on its own." Said Ciel.

"It was just fine until you tried to take it over!"

"Oh, really?" asked the Phantomhive, arching an eyebrow. "That's not what my sources say. Apparently, you've been having trouble selling merchandise over the past few years. At this rate, you would have to sell off Fairburn Toys, eventually. So why not now?"

"Keep your hands off it!" Fairburn shouted. "It's mine! It's been in my family for generations, and I'm not going to let it go to the likes of you!"

"How rude." Noted Alois, causing the human's eyes to wander in his direction. It was then that the other CEO's stern frown warped into a gross smile.

"I've got something that you're not gonna be happy about." Said Ferris. "According to my sources, you've got a dirty little secret, don't you, Phantomhive?"

"Ah, blackmail for greenmail. Interesting." Ciel mused. "And what exactly did you come across?"

"You're gay." Fairburn replied. "Apparently, you've got a young college student boy-toy, don't you? It would be a shame if word got out to the media, wouldn't it?"

"Excuse me?" the Phantomhive inquired, raising a brow. He looked at the menace, who looked back before returning his gaze to the human before him. Both demons chuckled at his threat, amused that he would even bother.

"You mean _my brother?"_ asked Alois, telling the lie that he and his beau had fabricated.

"One of_ his_ younger brothers is in a relationship with mine, mister Fairburn." Ciel added. "Surely you knew that. It's not necessarily a 'secret'."

"Wh-what?" the human asked. "They were wrong?! Those fuckers!"

"Yes, about those gentlemen who were stalking and harassing us…" the Phantomhive continued. "You are aware that that's a crime, right?" The human's eyes widened at the statement. Oh, dear. He was certainly in trouble now, wasn't he? Ciel only chuckled at the man's nervous reaction, watching as he fidgeted where he stood.

"Don't worry, I won't press charges." The bluenette said. "All you have to do is surrender your company's assets to FUNTOM, and all will be well."

"Like hell I'll do that!"

"Then enjoy your orange jumpsuit." Ciel looked past Fairburn and toward his butler, who was waiting at the door. "Sebastian, if you'll escort Mister Fairburn out, please?"

"No! Wait!" the human interrupted, holding a hand up. Silence hung in the air as he paused to think of what he was going to say. Ciel waited. He knew that his foe was debating the pros and cons of surrendering now. He would lose his company, but he was still wealthy. It would be easy for him to be put in charge of another corporation right after. Gritting his teeth, the man finally reached his conclusion.

"Well?" spoke the Phantomhive. "What is it?"

"I…" Mister Fairburn began, hesitant to throw away his family's company, but left with not much choice. "I'll… sign the company over to you." He concluded, visibly cringing at the statement. The bluenette simply smiled at him again.

"We'll see you again, soon, then." He stated, waving his hand. With that, the butler came over and quickly escorted the man out, as mister Fairburn nervously looked back at the head of the household. The door closed, and just like that, it was settled. Immediately, the demonic dup resumed their original shapes and the Macken hopped over the back of the couch in order to sit next to his partner.

"Well, that was anti-climactic." He said, placing his arm over the other demon's shoulders. The blonde arched an eyebrow as the other man chuckled at his statement.

"We're not done yet." Ciel stated, crossing one leg over the other. "Turn on the TV." He added, gesturing to the screen mounted on the wall.

With a shrug, Alois complied, grabbing the remote on the coffee table in front of them and switching on the device. The channel was set to some sort of news station, much to the confusion of the menace. His eyes watched as a nicely dressed woman addressed the audience from behind a desk with papers in hand about what was happening.

"This just in: it seems as though the company Fairburn Toys is in hot water today as he faces harassment and conspiracy charges for illegally placing the home of his rival, Damian Phantomhive, owner of FUNTOM toys, under surveillance. He may face additional charges, as one of his people supposedly put their hands on a man who is involved romantically with the FUNTOM CEO's younger brother, Ciel, in order to gain some kind of dirt on his business rival."

A smile appeared on the blonde's face. Ciel lied. He had already sent the police everything, and was it a beautiful thing! Alois turned to the bluenette and pecked him on the cheek.

"That's so evil." He said, causing the Phantomhive to smile as well.

"Sssh, there's more." Ciel stated, and Alois turned his attention back to the screen.

"If that wasn't enough for Fairburn," the news anchor continued, "his wife has decided to file for divorce in a settlement that may rob him of most of his wealth, after been tipped off to Fairburn's affair with a female secretary. More at eleven."

The blonde menace laughed aloud at that. It was the icing on the cake! When Ciel said that he was going to "ruin Fairburn's life", he wasn't joking! The best part was that the Phantomhive only did it because he could! Alois liked this game. Partially because his rich boyfriend was taking out other rich people who weren't nearly as nice, and partially because he liked that Ciel had the power to do so. He leaned over to rest his head on the Phantomhive's shoulder while reaching a hand up in order to play with his bluenette locks. After his giggling died down a bit, he looked up at the other demon.

"What are you going to do with the extra money from Fairburn's business?" he asked, hoping that his beau had one more jab at the other CEO to make. Ciel hummed in response as he thought of an answer, eventually coming out with:

"I don't know. Let's donate it to a few charities." He said, knowing the Mister Fairburn would absolutely hate it. He would make FUNTOM look good, while at the same time, delivering one final blow to his foe's ego.

"That's so wicked." Alois replied, shaking his head even though he was grinning from ear to ear. "Having a rich boyfriend is fun. I don't get what you see in me."

"You're funny, smart, dashing, and just as evil and messed up as I am." Ciel answered. He stood up, straightening his back before turning to hold out a hand to the blonde. "Come on. We promised that we'd go take Luka out for ice cream."

"Oh, yeah! That was today!" Alois said, taking his lover's hand and leading him out of the room. "He says he wants to try a new flavour."

"I bet he'll go for 'birthday cake'."

"No, that's _you."_

* * *

**A/N: Huhuhu... Yeah, I just wanted to end it. Wasn't feelin' it. Dunno what I'll do next, but I now know why I don't dabble much in the whole "business" area of DLTD. **

**It's boring.**

**I need ACTION!**

**Eh, I'll try to come up with a murder or something tomorrow. **

**Until then, my duckies~!**


	54. Three Months

The Hellsing Estate; the location of Hellsing Manor and the primary base of operations for the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. Within the base itself were several sectors, including the intelligence wing, the technology wing, and the combat wing, but what we'll be focusing on is what happened in the research wing, as something peculiar happened on his day. It was something that had been anticipated for around three months, and it certainly didn't go unnoticed, although the lab was empty when it happened.

It was almost completely silent in the top secret sector of the base, as none of the operatives who had access to it were present. Only the faint sound of beeping and pumping of air was audible in the desolate room. It was dark, as the lights were turned off, but the scattered papers and reference books were still visible from the illumination emitting from the barred door off in the back of the lab. That was where the sounds were coming from. It was also where the only life in the room was located.

Inside were dozens of machines hooked up to a body lying on a bed in the center. The figure was bound tightly to the bed frame with chains and leather straps to hinder any movement. Its torso was bare, revealing the images cut and tattooed into the flesh. A deep laceration spanned from the left shoulder to the right hip on the body. It was completely healed, but it was blackened. The growth seemed to spread outward a few inches, but stopped abruptly. This is what happens when a human is cut with the claws of a creature known as an "annie", and lived.

The body was still on the bed for three months, but on this day, something unexpected happened. There was a small twitch. A finger moved, ever so slightly, and it was followed by a few more. There was movement behind the darkened eyelids that shielded the vision of the poor soul trapped here. It lasted until they gradually fluttered open, squinting at the brightness casting down on them. Furrowing his brow, the Omid gentleman awoke.

Preston awoke.

His mind was foggy as he tried to process his surroundings. The plain walls and machinery came into view, much to his puzzlement. Where was he, anyway? After a few moments longer, it dawned on Preston that the devices were hooked up to him. When he tried to reach up and touch one of the tubes and wires, his eyes widened as he found himself restrained. Upon that discovery, he did the only logical thing he could think of. Preston screamed.

His voice tore through the room like stones against a wet paper towel. The beeping on the machines sped up as his heartrate increased from fear. Where was he? How did he get there?

His screaming cut off short into a pained grunt as he felt a burning sensation on his torso. The black gash was irritated, and sent a horrible ache through his bones. Preston's mind began to catch up with him, as he tried desperately to retrace his steps. Where was he last? He was at the castle of Krampus, trying to retrieve the bluenette with his friends and the agents of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. He was injured, and Dafydd took to desperate measures while giving him some form of first aid. Preston looked down and saw the markings still engraved in his flesh. They had healed up into light-coloured scars that stood out against his brown skin. It hurt just remembering the knife carving into him.

That's right! He passed out from pain! But where was he? He wasn't in the castle, still, that's for certain. Wherever he was, he certainly hoped that he was safe. Preston was scared. The Omid boy was only human, after all. He didn't ask for this sort of treatment! The man choked out a sob as he recalled the events that he had gone through. He hoped to God that he was safe now. The poor man didn't think that he could take much more fighting. All he wanted to do was go home, but apparently, that was too much to ask.

Poor Preston cried and growled as he tugged at his restraints in an effort to free himself. There were a few attempts to call for help, but he just couldn't form any words, no matter how hard he tried. His arms and legs were weak, like he hadn't used them in ages, making them useless. It was true, though.

The Omid had no idea just how much time had passed, but he would soon find out as researchers rushed to the laboratory. The surveillance cameras had picked up his movement. Speakers crackled, causing the man to flinch as he frantically looked around the room for the source of the noise. Thank God, he heard a familiar voice.

"Preston! You're awake!" declared Dafydd, speaking into the microphone on the other side of the wall. "Don't worry, it's me! Dafydd! You're safe, now. You're at the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. base, undergoing treatment."

Preston was at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.? While concerning, it was a lot better than a raging battlefield, that's for sure. Visibly, he relaxed, sinking down into the mattress at the good news. Slowly, his breathing began to calm down, and his sobs turned into soft hiccups. Maybe he was going to be alright.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the sorcerer walked through it, wearing his white labcoat and nametag. He walked over to the Omid gentleman, making sure that he didn't get too close. After all, they still didn't know how contagious the man's infection of Black Annis is. Even still, he smiled in a friendly manner.

"You alright?" he asked softly. "How are you feeling?"

Preston opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. What could he say? His body hurt, he was scared and disoriented, and he wanted to go home. That's how he was feeling. Yet all that would escape his throat was the sound of air.

"Ah, I see." Dafydd stated. "Your body is still under a lot of stress, and you've been out long enough that it's gonna take you a while to start functioning normally again…" He rubbed his chin, looking at his former classmate with concern while Preston looked back at him with fear. It was then that the sorcerer put his hands up.

"Oh! Yeah… I don't know how to break this to you gently, but… you've been here for three months." Dafydd said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Ah! But don't worry! We'll keep taking care of you! After a little bit more rest, we'll get you started on recovery." With that, Preston fell silent.

"And… we'll get you a psychologist, too." The wizard continued. "After the Black Annis incident, the others had to go to counseling as well. They all should be done, or almost done by now. They're alright." His words seemed to make the other man perk up a bit, and then sigh with relief. That was good. His friends were alright as well. With that, the researcher kept talking.

"Now that you're awake, we'll start trying to figure out when you can see them. Should be soon." He said. "Oh, and we're sorry about the restraints. Standard protocol. We didn't know what the Annis would do to you, so we had to take precautions." Oh no. That brought the mood back down again. Regardless, they needed to get this out of the way.

"Because you didn't die, the Black Annis is responding to your body differently." Dafydd added. "We're still not sure what's going to happen, but right now, you're pretty stable. You'll have to come back for check-ups pretty regularly, though, so we can monitor your progress. I'm sorry… We're going all that we can…" To that, Preston fell silent. His eyes dulled a bit as he stared past the sorcerer.

"I'll… I'll let you rest a bit…" Dafydd stated, turning to walk out and leave the other alone. "I'll be back to check on you soon."

The door closed again and locked, leaving the Omid trapped again behind walls of steel. Now Preston only felt numbness throughout his entire being. Tears feel freely from his eyes, once he was left by himself. What else could he do? How does he handle this news? He was sick, and he wasn't going to be able to get better anytime soon. Not now, and not_ ever._

* * *

**A/N: "_Give us the sensational seven!"_  
**

_**THERE YA GO, KIDS.**_

**I'm gonna crush you all with this kid, just you wait...**

**A lot has changed while he was out, huh?**

**Dan and Kris are not-boyfriends, but totally gay for each other, Ciel and Alois got stronger and gayer, Charlotte and Amelie are gonna get gay married...**

**So much gayness happened in three months. **

**Beautiful.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	55. Shock and Sickness

The Hellsing Estate; the home of the Hellsing family for generations, and the base of operations for the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. Shoes quickly hit against the floor of the research department as doctors and scientists alike tried to determine Preston's current state of well-being. Physically, he was showing signs of anyone who had just come out of a coma, and from his behaviour, he was acting like an ordinary human suffering from post-traumatic stress.

All of the members of the Sensational Seven suffered a bit after the Black Annis incident. There was depression, anxiety, horrible nightmares and sense of guilt. They had begun to fade in the other gentlemen, while they may be triggered, under certain circumstances. It was doubtful that any of the men would ever be quite the same again. Preston, however, was a different story.

It was doubtful that the Omid would recover to the degree that the others had. Doctors still weren't sure as to what affects the Black Annis infection alone may have on his mind, let alone combined with trauma. Not even Preston's parents were allowed to see him yet, while they were informed of the situation, and had known about their son's condition since the incident. It took some convincing, but somehow, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. managed to get them to believe the truth. Preston's condition was deemed "stable", but he wasn't deemed suitable for visitation just yet.

He would fidget and pick at his skin- particularly around the area of the gash on his torso. Preston would jump at the smallest noise, and seemed tense when left alone. When told to rest, all he could do is stare up at the ceiling as he lied down. He couldn't sleep, and even though he desperately needed to eat, the very thought made him want to vomit. Under surveillance, he managed to start eating, and when he started, he didn't stop until there was nothing left. At least he didn't adopt the annies' cannibalistic nature.

When he did sleep, it was not peaceful, and it didn't last long. He tossed and turned; mumbling as he had nightmares. That was reported amoungst all of the seven directly after the incident, but it was never certain how long it would last. The doctors needed to determine if Preston was physically capable of going through psychiatric care. Understandably, no one was sure if he was even a _threat_ or not, as of yet. Once a person had become an annie, they were gone, and behaved similarly to ghouls, if they had armour-plating.

The whole situation caused everyone a massive headache, from Preston himself, to the doctors, scientists, and even to Sir Integra, the head of the organization. Integra had problem, after problem, after problem on her hands at the moment, and things did not seem to be looking up. There was the situation with Preston, and the situation with Jonnathan, who was currently living with agent Heinrich at the moment. That demon was still in the middle of being resocialised as "human". Meanwhile, August was still missing. Somehow, the lesser-demoness had managed to lie low enough to evade H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s watch. No one knew how or why she vanished, but she was currently a threat to the crown. She knew a few of the organization's secrets, after all. Of course, they never told the supernaturals much, until a certain point, but as long as the possibility exists, it will not be overlooked.

Speaking of supernaturals, she had another problem on her hand. It was one of a more moral variety, however, and people's lives didn't hang in the balance. Two of her supernatural employees wanted to get married.

Of course, Sir Integra does not care about the sexuality of a person. This was about race. Amelie and Charlotte were both supernatural beings, and as a member of the Royal Protestant Knights, that didn't sit quite right with the woman. The Hellsing motto has always been "we are on a mission from God", in regards to their duty of exterminating all supernatural threats to the country. To unify two supernatural beings in holy matrimony was- well, it seemed a bit odd. What was worse, it seemed odd that she found it peculiar in the first place. She couldn't place why, however. Unholy beings cannot join together in a holy ceremony. That's just the way things are. Regardless, she wasn't at all compelled to stop them.

Shoes quickly hit against the floor as two figures made their way to her office. Sir Hellsing was expecting them, but she didn't expect them to barge into her office in the way that they did. The demonic duo came as soon as they got the call, which was surprising. Usually, they would dilly-dally and possibly show up the day after. How could they this time, though? Preston was awake.

"How is he?" asked Alois, not wasting any time with greetings. Both demons walked into the room, eager to discover any new information on the well-being of their friend.

"He's physically stable, for now." Replied Sir Integra. Her brow furrowed as she rested her chin in her palm and her elbow on her desk. "We really don't know how long that will last, however. In addition, his mental state has been shaken. It was predictable, but he's undergoing a lot of post-traumatic stress."

"Oh…" the menace answered sadly. He couldn't think of anything to say to that. She had just answered his question with blinding bluntness, so there wasn't anything he could use to come up with a follow-up question.

"He has the potential to be worse, actually." The Hellsing woman added. "His injuries were far worse than those of your other friends, and the shock seems to be getting to him. In addition, we don't know about the effects that Black Annis may eventually have on his brain."

"He's never going to get better, is he?" inquired the bluenette, sparking a long pause from Sir Integra. She didn't have to answer with words. They knew.

"We don't know how to cure him of this." Said Hellsing. "We don't know if the damage already done can be reversed, either."

"You're at least going to try, aren't you?" asked Alois, looking to Integra with a worried face. The woman simply sighed.

"Of course. It's the only thing that we_ can _do." She stated, rubbing her forehead. "We'll be sure to keep you updated if anything else happens to him. Right now, we're trying to get him physically well enough to see a therapist."

"Can _we_ see him?"

"I'm afraid not. He's still very fragile."

"Does he at least know what happened?" the menace asked. "Did you tell him how that mission ended? Did you tell him what happened to his friends? There's other stuff that happened even after that, that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. doesn't have any knowledge of, because it's irrelevant to its mission. Wouldn't that make him feel better? He's probably worried!"

To those questions, a baffled look came over the woman's face. Of course she hadn't thought about that. This was a bureaucracy. The idea of conveying that information wasn't even considered because it was thought to be irrelevant to the mission at hand. Gloved fingers tapped against Integra's desk as she pondered the suggestions. After a few moments, she realised that she had no choice but to concede.

"Very well." She said. "Go tell him. I'll give you one hour, but that's it."

A grin formed on the menace's face while the bluenette simply stared at the woman in shock. Ciel looked to Integra, then over to Alois, and then back again. How on earth was he able to do that?

"Yes, ma'am." Alois replied. "I'll get on it right now." He turned on his heel to walk out the door again, while his beau watched after him. Moments passed, and the Phantomhive snapped to his senses and followed him, trotting up alongside him. Once the door was closed, and they were out into the hallway, Ciel had to express his puzzlement.

"How on earth did you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?"

"How did you get Integra to let you do what you want?"

"I dunno." Shrugged Alois. "All I did was explain my point and ask."

"She never shows me that kind of leniency…" Ciel huffed.

"That's because you try to pick fights with her at the same time." Chuckled the Macken. "Not a good strategy, Pooch."

"Since when do you know how to talk to Integra?"

"Who do you think helped me find your sorry butt after you were captured? Nice woman. Bit strict, but she's not a bad person."

"Date her, then." Jested Ciel. A small smile appeared on his face as he saw the blonde try to backtrack.

"Ew, no." Alois replied. "She's pretty, but I'm not really attracted to her, and besides, if I wanted to do that, I could have when I had the opportunity. Instead I went to find you. Shame, I know."

* * *

**A/N: Shitty chapter, I know, but it's 3 a.m.  
**

**UGH.**

**I have an idea for the next one, though, so bear with it.**

**Dunno if it'll tie into this, though...**

_**UGH.**_

**Questions?**

_**"heres a question please dont be offended. Are you mentally twisted... considering all the sadistic and cruel and downright evil aspects of the story? please dont be offended, just checking to make sure!" by Socially Awkward Oreo Monster**_

**Nah. You don't need to be "twisted" in order to come up with this kind of junk. All you have to to is read the news. Almost all of these "sadistic and cruel and downright evil aspects" are based on shit that actually happens. **

**Freaky, know.**

_**"For HateWeasel! Just wondering, are you into other fandoms outside of anime? Things like homestuck, creepypasta, ect." by Guest**_

**Uuuhhh... I dunno? The stuff that I'm really into doesn't really seem to have a "fandom", so I dunno what to tell ya.**

_**"HateWeasel: Have you watched Mirai Nikki?" by Jacuninja**_

**I don't know what that is.**

_**"are demons affected by things like pills, or chloroform? Or is it just Rosemary that effects them?" by Guest**_

**Depends on how dangerous they are, I guess. Like, Sebastian has gotten heartburn from drinking cyanide-laced lemonade in the manga, and he has been irritated by mustard gas, so it can do stuff like that. In order to get that junk to affect them "normally", I think you'd have to weaken them quite a bit with a shit-ton of rosemary first. **

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	56. Exhaustion of Bailey

New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway, London SW1H 0BG, United Kingdom; The tall grey building watched over the city through tinted glass, and housed investigators, police officers, as well as other operatives whose duty it was to protect the city. When they are incapable of completing this task, however, they are required to bring in special agents to do it for them. These two agents are Junior detective constable Jim "Alois Trancy" Macken, and Senior detective constable Sir Doctor Ciel Phatomhive; or collectively shortened to simply: "The Demonic Duo".

The pair walked up to the building just like any other day that they were called in. They always gave off the impression that they owned the place, but it wasn't as though anyone would stop them. No one was stupid enough to do something like that. It wasn't as though the pair walked with any particular hurry, however. What they expected to be greeted with was another simple case that either of them could do on their own, due to the new and incredibly inexperienced detective Bailey.

Grey cubicles went by as they made their way through the office, passing detectives, officers, and bureaucrats alike on their way to the evidence room. When they finally approached the door, Ciel pulled out his ID card and slid it into the lock, granting them both access. Once they stepped inside, they found the young detective browsing through files that were sprawled out on one of the tables. The man jumped when he heard the door open and scrambled to gather all of the papers and photographs on the table up again. Both demons arched an eyebrow and looked to one another before turning their attention back to the Bailey gentleman. That was odd.

"So, what's happening in your neck of the woods, Junior?" inquired the blonde menace, waltzing right up to the table to peer over the human's shoulder. Seeing as though he would have to show them both anyway, the man sighed and stepped to the side, allowing Alois to look over the files as the other demon walked up to join him.

"We've got another serial killer." The man said. He seemed extremely tense. Ordinarily, he was dressed to the teeth, but now, he was disheveled, with his jacket off, his sleeves rolled up, and his tie loosened. It seemed as though this particular case had given him several sleepless nights. Ciel stepped up behind his beau, plucking one of the many files off of the table and opening it.

"Several people have turned up dead over the past month." Bailey stated. "They seem to be killed with whatever available. A few of them were strangled with something, while others were beaten with blunt objects found at the scene. Their wallets, cellphones, and other necessary items were stolen from the corpses."

"So what makes this person special?" asked the menace. "Surely you can catch somebody who goes around leaving that much evidence. They sound like a common criminal!"

"That's where it gets odd." Answered the human. "According to our reports, the deceased was said to have been living as if nothing had happen days after the autopsy stated they should be dead. One woman's husband was in the room with her while we called her to inform her that he was dead!"

"Interesting…" muttered the bluenette, glancing over the papers in his hand. "It says here that they went missing shortly after that."

"Yes. They always go missing again shortly after the body is identified." Bailey replied, rubbing his forehead before crossing his arms. "They just get up and leave! They vanish without a single trace, and then another body turns up and they cycle repeats itself."

Ciel took some of the pictures of the victims out of the folders and lined them up. Visually, they had absolutely nothing in common. They were of different sexes, ages, and races, with different facial features and body types. They were completely randomly selected. No one could have seamlessly disguised themselves as all of them. That, unfortunately, left only one of two possibilities.

"It's possible that there are multiple perps." Stated the bluenette, putting the images back in the correct folders. "Was anything stolen from the victims' families or close aquaintances?"

"No." answered detective Bailey, sitting down in a nearby chair. He slumped as he rubbed his temples. "Nothing was stolen at all. No belongings, no money- nothing. It's like they did this just to take over the victims' lives. I don't know why anyone would do this. Then again, I don't know why anybody would murder anybody else."

"There's many reasons. I know them personally." Ciel replied, closing the file. "I assume that we can take these with us?" He was met with a waving motion from the human.

"Go ahead. Everything should be there. Just take them away…" The poor man looked exhausted.

"Then we'll be taking our leave." The watchdog informed him as his assistant began helping him round up the rest of the folders. "I think taking advantage of vacation days is a good idea for you." He added. Michael was still a newb fresh out of school, so it was expected of him to be stressed by the job. He was a homicide detective, after all. Unless you're at the demonic duo's ranking, it's a very emotionally taxing occupation.

Not everyone can take trying to keep killers off of the streets, often working around the clock to do so. Some don't sleep. Some have trouble when they have the chance. That's part of what made the duo so fearsome. They didn't bat an eyelash at the sight of corpses. It didn't matter to them if the victim had a family, or had something to offer to the world. It didn't matter that they were human. To Ciel and Alois, all of those things were irrelevant. It was just gore to them, and even then, they had become desensitized to it. To the demonic duo, solving murder was just something to do. It was a game.

There was no sleep lost to the demons, as they didn't even require it in the first place. They could go to a crime scene and have lunch directly afterwards. Moreover, they could do things that ordinary human detectives could not. They had physical ability and even military power at their disposal. Ciel Phantomhive and Jim "Alois Trancy" Macken would solve this case, just like they had others, and they would do it with enthusiastic interest.

They weren't heartless, however. They, too, had friends and family whom they cared about dearly. Just the day before, they had visited Preston, who was still in questionable condition after waking up infected with Black Annis. It took patience to deal with him, at first, because they discovered that the Omid gentleman was quite anxious, especially when it came to the supernatural.

Preston cowered when they had entered the room, and only relaxed after a while of the pair just talking about what all happened between the others after the incident. They told them about Audrey and his work, Travis and his writing, and about Daniel and Kristopherson's increasingly more complicated relationship. Idle chit-chat passed the time that they were allowed to spend in the room with him, but they parted on decent terms. They were even worried about him in their absence, and instructed doctors to simply chat with him on occasion, as it seemed to help him. The demons hardly seemed devilish until they were actually working.

Now they had another case, so their increasingly odd relationships with their friends would have to wait while they worked. Life would go on, except for the victims of this strange killer. How many more there would be, however, was yet to be determined.

* * *

**A/N: Murder pls.  
**

**Lots of it, hopefully. I have a vague sense of where this is gonna go...**

**Gettin' kinda tired of the repetitive-ass fluff, y'know?**

**Just kidding, I know you do. I read the reviews.**

**There's not been any questions for character shet lately, huh? Have y'all run out? Oh well...**

**Question?**

_**"Hateweasel... Book of circus and book of murder? As an anime, did you know?" by KrazynKuki**_

**Yea. I've known for a long time. I'm too scared to watch the last episode because I kind of like not having my soul crushed.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	57. What About Travis?

Oh, it's been a while. You might not remember me by now, but I'm Travis. I'm friends with Ciel, Alois, Daniel, and the others, but I don't really talk much. Sometimes, I'd just rather listen. I've always liked stories, but I haven't really ever thought about telling them.

My mum owns a jewelry company, but is also a fairly popular author of romance novels. I've never really got them, but she seems to like it. Unfortunately, I got my looks from my dad, who's a professional wrestler. I always walk around with a mean expression on my face, but somehow, that came in handy today.

I've been trying to write a book. When you're surrounded by interesting people, how could I not want to? There's demons, grim reapers, werewolves and vampires, and I've made acquaintance with at least one of each and all of them go on real-life adventures, like James Bond or somebody. There's always some idea coming from that, and I just can't seem to shake them anymore. Being there in the middle of it all sort of had an influence on that.

Ciel and Alois said it was fine if I base my characters off of them as long as I don't hint at them being associated at all. So, in the end, I'm writing a story about supernatural spies. It's a little difficult, since I'm not too familiar with some of the details of their work, but that's where the "fiction" part comes in, right?

Lately, though, I've been having trouble with fight scenes. So, Ciel suggested that I go watch some people fight, or learn how, myself. Somehow, I ended up at a gym with Kristopherson.

Kris goes pretty regularly. You can tell by how toned he is, when you actually look past the pastel-coloured outfits of his. He tried explaining to me what all of the machines did, but I still didn't really get it. Maybe that's why I'm not as in shape!

Instead of wasting much more time on that, he pointed me in the direction of the part of the gym that does boxing, since that's what I came for. After that, we both separated to each do our own thing. Kris would go work out, and I would go watch people box. When he was done, he would come find me and we'd leave. Until then, though, I would sit off to the side and take notes, trying to figure out how exactly the boxers did what they were doing.

Some of them were really fast, while some of them were slower, but sturdier. Others just went down straight away without much of a fight. They looked like they were good with other newbies, but up against the regulars, they never stood a chance. It was always kind of funny to watch them put on airs before the match and then try to shift the blame afterwards.

It took a few days to figure out all of that, but I did. I still didn't know how exactly they were moving like they did. I didn't think I could get a good description from this, while I eventually managed to get the scene blocked out in my head. I tried to remember what it was like in the couple of scuffles that I've been in in the past, but I'm not a professional in the slightest.

There's this one girl, though, who's really good. She shows up almost every day around the same time, and beats guys who're either around her size, and sometimes bigger. She always takes out the newbies in one- maybe two punches, if they're lucky.

She's pretty, with light brown skin and hair of a darker shade. Her smile is haughty in the ring, but genuinely playful while she isn't fighting. We go to the same school, believe it or not; she always shows up in a hoodie from our uni. Kristopherson would cry. Occasionally, she'll look over toward my little corner with a confused expression before returning to whatever she was doing. Today, I finally figured out why.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked, towering over me from where I sat on the floor. She bent over at the waist and looked over the crumpled papers around me from my many botched attempts at writing.

"Writing." I told her. "I'm trying to write a book."

"At a gym?" She didn't seem too convinced. Come to think of it, I guess it was a bit weird. "Wouldn't a library be a better place to do that?"

"I'm trying to write a fight scene." I said. "I've been in only one or two, so I'm not really sure how to put it into words."

"Why don't you, y'know, box or something?" the girl asked. "You come in here almost once a week, and I've never seen you box once. What's with that? Wouldn't it be easier if it were fresh in your head?"

"I don't have anybody to box with. Besides, I don't know how."

"Then come on, I'll show ya." She said, holding out a hand to me. It took me a minute to tell if she was serious or not, but from the look she gave me; yeah, she was.

Now, the last time that I had been in a fight was at that castle when we were trying to rescue Ciel, and before that, I roughed up Cameron a bit at camp. I'm not really a fighter. That's my dad's thing, even though he's retired. I would have just asked him, but he hurt his back when he was still working, and can't do the moves anymore, and his explanations didn't make much sense. I was kind of scared to follow this girl and try to box with her, since I know she's good. I haven't seen her take down a guy my size, but I know she could.

Before I could find a way to weasel out of it, she took my arm and forced me to stand up before dragging me over to the ring. Soon I had on mitts and headgear and so did she. Then she told me the rules. Punching is allowed, kicking is allowed, but only above the waist. No elbows or knees. That was it.

I was nearly scared half to death when she threw her first punch. I put my arms in front of my face to protect myself, but then she punched me in the gut and knocked the wind out of me. Now, I knew she was tough, but I didn't think she'd make me fall to my knees like that. My stomach and lungs hurt as I coughed. Thank God she didn't hit me again. She just looked at me with a confused face and squatted down to get on my level.

"You alright?" she asked. I coughed a few more times and nodded. "Wow, you really haven't been in a fight." She paused for a second before asking: "Sorry, I hit you, and I never even learned your name."

"It's Travis." I told her, clearing my throat. "Travis Sullivan." The girl's immediate reply consisted of her standing up and grabbing my wrist again to pull me up, too. She didn't let go of it right away, but she shook it while she introduced herself.

"Well, '_Travis Sullivan'_, my name's Patricia." She dropped my wrist. "_Patricia Ramirez_. Or, Pat, Patty, whatever floats your boat. And next time, don't hesitate to throw a punch. You'll never know how to fight like that."

Patricia started to walk away, hopping over the ropes and walking to collect her things. She turned around for a moment to yell at me. She said: "Come back in we'll box again if you want to suck less!"

She seems nice. I think I made a friend.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I went off-topic, but it'll all tie back in maybe, hopefully, I don't really know.  
**

**I just wanted to write in this character in finally because I've had her for ages... Also, we haven't really checked in with Travis, yet, so we needed that.**

**Oooh man, there was somethin' I wanted to talk about, here, but I totally forgot what it was! **

**GUH.**

**Eh, questions?**

_**"For: Hate-chan, how does it feel writing something out of character? Is it easy?" by Guest**_

**Yeah, but it's excruciatingly painful because it's just so bad. In-character is easier. Once you know the "rules" of how a character works, it's really easy to figure out what they'd do in a situation. **

_**"Hateweasel! Question, are you planning a sequel to DLTP?"**_

**Not yet! I have no idea how DLTP is even gonna end yet!**

_**"do you ever worry that you may be giving people ideas to murder?" by BlazeingEcho**_

**Not really. To pull half this stuff off, you'd need to be a police officer, or a government official, and possibly have supernatural powers. These murders aren't that clever, either, so I'd suggest looking elsewhere. Try tumblr.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"To William: Do all reapers that are not retired have to reap souls? Is there some special way they have to stop?**" by Auraheart_

_William's Answer:"There are many other divisions within the dispatch that do not harvest souls, so no."_

_0000000000000000000_

_Question:** "Question for Luka: How long is your tail now? Can you pick stuff up with it? Also, Luka do you think of Sebastian as a father figure? Would you call him father or dad? And question for Revy how do you see the rest of the 'Family'? I know your older than Luka so maybe you're not as adapting? (Is that the word? *Shrugs*) Do you see Alois and Ciel as brothers to you and Sebastian as a father figure?"** by BlazeingEcho_

_Luka's Answer: "It's not very long. It's still just a little stub, so I can't do much with it. It feels funny when I sit! I guess Sebastian's kind of like a dad, but I don't think I'd call him that 'cause he's not."_

_Revy's Answer: "Actually, it was easy to get used to stuff, so I guess I might not have died that long ago, or something. The hardest part was getting used to the 'family'... They're weird. They're STILL weird. I guess Sebastian is kind of like a dad, and Alois is kinda like a brother. Ciel's kind of like that awkward in-law or something, still, though. He's really cool, but he's hard to talk to."_

_00000000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"For Alois and Ciel: Are you going to help Amelie and Charlotte plan the wedding, if so what are your ideas?"** by WaffleslikeDoitsu_

_Ciel's Answer: "I can get them a few things set up, but I have no idea how to plan that sort of thing..."_

_Alois' Answer: "Sure! I'll do what I can! Maybe I can get the others to help..."_

_0000000000_

_Question: "**What would your reaction be to meeting Alucard? For Ciel and Sebastian; what are your opinions on Alucard since you've met him already"** by RedRoset_

_Ciel's Answer: *shudders*_

_Sebastian's Answer: **"Disgusting."**_

_Alois' Answer: "I'd probably be pretty goddamn terrified!"_

_The rest: "What's an Alucard?"_


	58. Tracking the Invisible

Phantomhive Manor; home and base of operations of the Phantomhive family. While technically, there is only one true "Phantomhive" currently residing in the house, the supernatural beings who live there are still referred to as "family". While this is true, they don't always participate in "family" activities together. Today, for example, the head of the household and his partner were currently in the middle of work, or rather, tried to be.

The pair were seated on one of the two sofas in the Phanomthive's office, examining the information that they had been presented by the new detective Bailey. The Phantomhive looked over the map with the locations where the bodies were found while the Macken looked for a connection between the victims. He flipped through picture after picture, but simply couldn't come up with anything. With a furrowed brow, the menace ran his fingers through his hair. His hand hit his boyfriend's thigh as he used it as a pillow while reclining on the couch.

"What do you think?" he asked the bluenette. Alois held up some of the pictures up for the other demon to see. "Master of disguise, or something else?"

"I assume maintaining that sort of disguise would be difficult long-term." Ciel answered. "I assume that it's multiple people who look similar to the victims in an organised group."

"But what for? It's not like some of these people had any sort of big secret that they would be guarding that would be of any use to anyone." The blonde replied. "I mean look, this one's a school teacher, this one's a store clerk- they aren't hiding any government secrets, or anything…"

"Maybe someone closely linked to them is." Spoke the watchdog. "And it doesn't have to be a large-scale government conspiracy, as fun as that would be. It could be anything to drugs, to weapons, or anything else."

"Then what are we going to do? Are we trying to think of a motive so we can catch them?"

"That would be useful…" Ciel trailed off. He moved the menace's bangs out of his face as he spoke. "We know that they're all from around the same area, but none of them seem to have anything in common. We also know that the culprit or culprits replaced the victims once they were dead. They did it almost seamlessly, and left only when they were discovered without violence. They stole nothing, either. What does that mean?"

"It sounds like something out of a shitty sci-fi flick." Alois mused, closing his eyes at the bluenette's touch. It was then that his eyebrows furrowed. "Come to think of it… doesn't this sound like something a _human_ couldn't pull off?"

The Phantomhive blinked in response. That was entirely possible. Why, even he could shape-shift, so that made it perfectly feasible. Come to think of it, there was only one victim at a time. Had there been multiple individuals, there would be more. In addition, that also explained why there was nothing stolen- why they seemed to slip into the role of a human being for no material gain.

It was survival. It was becoming increasingly difficult to survive as a supernatural being in the modern world, so blending in was a challenge. Perhaps who, or whatever did this, was merely trying to live another day?

"That makes sense, actually." Ciel answered, running his hand through flaxen locks. "Good work."

"I try." His beau said with a grin. "But how exactly does one catch a shape-shifter, and determine if there even _is_ one?"

"Now that, is a good question…" sighed the bluenette. How exactly does one capture someone who could possibly be anyone at any given moment? Moreover, how can it be confirmed that even such a person even exists?

"Are there any witnesses, or anything?" questioned the blonde. "Or security cameras, like in the _'Graffiti'_ case?"

"I'm not sure. These spots seem pretty secluded. There's alleyways, isolated places in the park, and a spot on the shore of the Thames… I doubt it. The best way would to be able to catch them in the act, but that seems very unlikely of ever happening."

"Is there any other evidence that could help us figure anything out?"

"Just the locations, the victims, and the methods used to kill them."

Alois huffed in a bit of frustration at the lack of information. The Phantomhive was equally troubled, but less expressive of it. As the menace looked over the images again, his eyes wandered to the photo of the latest victim.

"What if they didn't change back after running away?" he inquired, tilting his head to look up at the other man for a reply. "If they have to take someone else's form in order to blend in, maybe they're still in the form of the last person they killed?"

"Could be…" answered his boyfriend. "In that case, we could try surveillance tapes and the like, but how do we find them? The area is very broad."

"Is it possible to call in reinforcements?"

"Not yet. We'd first have to prove that there's supernatural involvement before deploying H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. investigators."

"What about the police?" suggested Alois. "Surely we can boss around a couple of them…"

"They have to follow the law, unfortunately, which is not how we operate." Ciel stated, rubbing his chin. He was now deep in thought as he tried to figure out a plan of action. They might as well be searching for someone who is invisible! That's basically what this person was. Ciel and Alois simply had to find a way to expose them, and that would be the end.

"Damn… I hate laws and shit…" the blonde replied. "A stakeout by ourselves wouldn't work, though. It would take up too much time, and we might not even get any results." He paused to think for a moment before speaking again.

"We could wait until another body is found…" he suggested. "Only, we wouldn't tell anybody we found it. Instead, just, identify who it is, and then go look for the imposter where the victim is supposed to be."

"That's horrible." The watchdog accused. "It would work, though. Alright, until we come up with a better plan, we still have that."

"One more person isn't gonna do much harm. It's better one more person dies than ten, right?"

"Precisely, but I couldn't tell you how many people would agree."

"I don't get _'normal_' people. They're so unreasonable…" huffed the Macken, reaching up to play with his partner's hair. "So, what could we do that's '_morally just'_ instead?"

"There isn't anything, it seems. We can't expect to find them just out of the blue. There's no such thing as miracles."

"That's a depressing thought."

"Sorry. I'm not known for my cheery demeanor, you know." Ciel uttered, watching as the blonde menace sat up. He opened his arm so that the other man could sit while leaning against him while his other hand kept a grip on the file that he was looking at.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Doing nothing, though, seems a lot like waiting for one." Spoke the menace, resting his head on the bluenette's shoulder and getting comfortable. His eyes stared intently at the map in front of the other demon, while he wasn't really paying much attention for it. "Chasing things and beating them up is the fun part…"

"I know what you mean. Unless we can come up with a more '_involved_' plan, this is what we have, though."

"Why don't we ever get orders to just beat the crap out of people?"

"We're detectives, not thugs, Jim." Ciel paused for a moment. "You just want to act out and crush somebody, don't you?"

"That is the true nature of violence, Ciel." Quipped the fair-haired gentleman. "It is inescapable to those who have had a taste of what power is like."

"Are you trying to go all philosophical on me?"

"I'm bored."

"Hi, '_bored_', I'm Ciel."

"Oh, fuck off!" whined Alois. "I'll kick_ your_ ass."

"First, you want to wait for another person to die to catch a murderer, and then you threaten me?" jokingly asked the bluenette. "You're horrible. I'm so upset. Really, I am."

"You're full of shit, that's what you are…"

"And yet you love me anyway."

"I suppose somebody has to." Teased the menace. "Who else would be able to tolerate a weirdo who solves murder for giggles like you?"

"Now you're resorting to name-calling?"


	59. An Unpleasant Run

"Guh!" Travis grunted as he felt a swift blow to the face before landing flat on his rear with a thud. Even though the fist that struck him was padded, it didn't prevent his nose from bleeding. The Sullivan gentleman rubbed his face, sniffling in an attempt to keep himself from bleeding all over the ring. He was hit hard. He was certainly getting good material to write about.

The generally silent member of the sensational seven had been sparring for the past couple of weeks, each time he came to the gym. He still went with Kristopherson to the building before they both parted ways as per usual procedure, only now he would meet up with Patricia in order to box. Despite Travis' lineage and stature, he wasn't very good. While he was getting better, he certainly wasn't going to be wining any tournaments within the next hundred years. Patricia was fast, and knew exactly where to hit him. She saw every small act of hesitation and used it to her advantage. It was easy, given the fact that Travis wasn't all the fighting sort by nature.

"Sorry, are you alright?" asked his opponent, dropping her stance in order to look down at the male. "Didn't mean to hurt you, but it happens, sometimes. Just tilt your head back and I'll get something to mop it up with, 'kay?" Patricia said, taking off her gloves and headgear. Travis did as instructed, breathing through his mouth as he couldn't through his nose.

Yes, he was definitely getting some good material. As he sat there, he mentally started trying to convert what he was feeling into words- how his nose throbbed, ached, and stung while he smelled and tasted iron. He could describe how his muscles ached from prancing around the ring and how his forearms hurt from blocking punches and kicks. Yes, this was going just as planned, except for the part where he was in pain. That part wasn't so great.

Travis nodded in response before simply laying back on the padded floor of the ring and staring at the ceiling. If he could breathe through his nose, a nap sounded nice, but as soon as his new friend came back, it would be back to work. It would seem that the Sullivan boy was certainly not cut out for fighting. He closed his eyes for a while, but opened them when he had a towel dropped on his face.

"You suck at this." Laughed Patricia as she looked down at the man.

"I'm not used to it." Travis answered, sitting up and pressing the towel to his face.

"I'll give ya that. I still can't believe you're willing to get yourself beaten up for a book, though." The girl in front of him sat down, crossing her legs with a slouch. "I mean, I like stories as much as the next guy, but that's pretty intense."

"I think it's helping, though. Maybe not my face, but my writing's improving."

"_That's weird, mate."_ Bluntly spoke Patricia, shaking her head. She was right. It was a bit odd, wasn't it? Most people wouldn't willingly get in fights for the sake of putting words together. Travis was bleeding, after all. Was it really worth it? "That's crazy, and I get my head knocked around worse that you! What is your story even about, anyway?"

"Hmmm…" the Sullivan gentleman paused for a moment, taking the towel away from his face to turn it over. He had almost stopped bleeding, but blood was still coming out. "It's about these two detectives. They solve murders, but they also deal with monsters, sometimes. They're based off of friends of mine."

"So it's like a supernatural murder mystery, huh? Cool." Said the boxer. "Are your friends like, actual detectives in real life, or is that just for the story?"

"No, they're actual detectives. One of them goes to our school and is studying while acting as an assistant to the other one." Travis replied. "They're decent fellows- really weird, but, they're pleasant to be around."

"Even weirder than _you?_" teased the Ramirez girl, arching an eyebrow with a playfully questioning look.

_"Way_ weirder. The detective looks like a bad guy you'd see in some spy movie, and his assistant used to wear short-shorts."

"What's wrong with that?"

"He's a bloke."

To that, Patricia laughed, trying to imagine the often quiet Travis hanging out with two people like that. "Oh, my god, that's brilliant."

"He says it was just a phase, but none of us will ever let him live it down."

"You shouldn't. That's golden."

"See why I picked them to base characters off of?" Travis asked. "They're good at fighting, too, but there's no way I'd ask them to help. They'd accidentally send me to the hospital."

"There's no way people like that can be real. You're got to be joking."

"I'm not, thank goodness."

"You should let me read some of your stuff sometime- at least when it's done." Patricia said, standing up and stretching. "I gotta see these guys."

"I could probably introduce you sometime" Travis looked up, wiping his nose one last time before taking the towel away from his face. "Going home?"

"Yeah, if it gets too late, it'll be a pain getting back." The woman answered.

"Want me to drive you?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll just take the tube."

"Alright, then. Same time next week?" asked the writer.

"Yeah. Work on the whole '_hitting back'_ thing until then for me, alright, Hercules?" Joked the boxer before heading out.

Patricia put on her hoodie and headed for the metro station. Even though she was wearing shorts in late fall, she was still sweating as she jogged to get there. Her muscles ached, and her lungs hurt from the cold air that stabbed against their inner-lining, and now all she wanted to do was sit down and ride the rest of the way home in peace. Unfortunately, it seemed as though that wasn't what was going to be happening.

Even humans had a "gut feeling" that tells them when something wasn't right, and Patricia sure felt it. She kept jogging, not wanting to slow down and potentially find out what it was. London was a big city filled with many dangers, after all. When she heard a soft, polite, "excuse me" calling from behind her, she didn't even look back. In fact, her pace quickened as she heard footsteps following her. As they got faster, the boxer became scared.

She started running. The cold air pierced her lungs harshly, but she didn't even register it. She had other, more pressing matters to think about. She was being chased by someone- she didn't know who, and she didn't care to find out. Whoever it was, they were determined, as they followed Patricia for another block.

Tired, she slammed her foot down on the ground before turning, and slamming the other one down as well, turning to fast the threat while adopting a fighting stance. One punch would be all it would take to end this, and then she could go home. Skillfully, she swung her fist, causing it to collide with her pursuer's face. The impact from her blow on its own would have knocked someone down, if not out, easily, and combined with the speed that they crashed into her at, they definitely shouldn't have gotten up.

But they did. The person who was following her sat up and locked eyes with her. He looked like a businessman who was at least in his forties. It should have been impossible for him to even follow her, with as fast as she was running.

It only took her a mere second or so to decide that she needed to start running again. She lifted one foot and moved it, tripping when the man leaned forward and grabbed at her ankle. Patricia fell against the concrete sidewalk, scraping her exposed knees in the process before she started kicking. She kicked her foot in an effort to free herself, but when that didn't work, she swung her other leg and hit her attacker right in the face. It obviously hurt them, but that was her intention. Alas, they had but one more trick up their sleeve.

Suddenly, the hands of the attacker started glowing and the flesh started to bubble beneath the surface. The man's old, chiseled hands began to morph into much smaller, more feminine hands with worn knuckles, wearing skin that was a similar hue to the boxers. It crawled up the attacker's arms, and even the man's clothing started to change. It changed to match Patricia's.

Her attacker's body took on a completely different shape now, shifting from that of a middle-aged man to a young woman! Their hair lengthened and changed the same shade of dark brown as the boxers, and their face… oh, their face…

Of course the human girl was dumbstruck by this. How exactly does an ordinary human being respond to such an outrageous and disturbing display? When whatever it was opened it's eyes, green met green as they locked with hers. Miraculously, the Ramirez girl snapped back to her senses and gave another kick, this time, aiming for her attacker's hands.

They let go and clutched at them in pain, all while Patricia took this opportunity to scramble to her feet and run. She ran like she's never ran before in her life, not even bothering to try and make sense of what just happened as she did so. Wisely, she was more concerned about making it out of there alive!

Patricia ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and she never looked back, even as she stormed into the metro station. She didn't look back until she was on her train and the doors shut behind her. Understandably, she nearly collapsed then and there, thankfully making it to a seat before doing so. Her entire body ached and her blood was pumping as her heart beat wildly. She was panting, her lungs feeling like she had been inhaling glass from running out in the cold and her body was shaking as her mind started to catch up with her.

_What was that?_

The woman was attacked by something. She didn't know what, or why. Regardless, she was certain that it couldn't be human. She was hoping that she only imagined it. Surely it was impossible for a man to just transform into her likeness right before her very eyes! No matter what she told herself, however, she wasn't convincing enough. That was real, and she could have died.

Right then and there, the boxer started crying, having feared for her life. It didn't matter to her who all saw her in that state at the moment. She was more concerned about the fact that she might not have lived to break down in the first place!

Her train ride ended and she was afraid to walk the rest of the way to her house alone. She wondered if Travis' offer still stood to drive her. It was worth a try. With trembling hands, she reached into her pockets and dug out her cellphone. Maybe someone writing about paranormal detectives would know something about this? Or better yet, point her in their direction.

* * *

**A/N: Oh...  
**

**Hahaha... I should be working... But instead, I did this. You're welcome. **

**Bet you were wondering how she was gonna fit into this, eh?  
**

**Poor Patty.**

**I dunno what else to talk about... Questions?**

_**"**_**_hate-san are you going to make this DLTP into baby thing? *pwease _* i want mpg" by marry sue_**

**Hahaha... If I do that, it would probably be toward the veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyy end. I'm not really into m!preg, though, so we'll see...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	60. A Not-So-Pleasant Drive

It was late by the time Travis arrived to pick up Patricia from the station. It took him a while to figure out her directions on how to get there, but he finally managed. The Sullivan did not mind in the slightest about having to turn around and help her out. He had offered, hadn't he? And it's not like he could just leave her there. Patricia sounded so scared over the phone, so it had to be serious.

It was quiet on the drive to Patricia's flat, save for her occasionally speaking up to give directions on how to get there. The poor girl was freezing and her eyes stung. She tried not to cry in front of Travis, only letting a small hiccup or two slip by. She was shaking. How else was she supposed to react? She had just been attacked, and her attacker took on her exact appearance in the middle of it. Whatever they were, they definitely weren't human.

"It's going to be alright." Travis said, his eyes leaving the road in front of them for a second as he glanced over at the girl. "Do you want to call the police?"

Patricia only shook her head in response, not trusting her voice. Who would believe her? No one in their right mind would ever believe that she was assaulted by some shape-changing monstrosity! What was telling anyone going to do?

"Nobody would believe it…" she mumbled to herself. "It's too unreal…"

"You'd be surprised by what's real." Travis answered, knowing that he wasn't even being spoken to. "Do you want to talk about it?"

To that, Patricia scoffed. "You wouldn't believe me."

"I believe in all kinds of things." The Sullivan gentleman said. "_Trust me_."

"I don't even know if that thing was human…" stated the woman after a few moments of silence.

"Like a monster?"

"Yeah…"

"Maybe it was." The author pondered, wondering if what his friend saw was linked to the supernatural. It was possible. It certainly wasn't the first time that one of his acquaintances had been attacked by strange creatures. It was a bit of an odd subject to bring up, seeing as though the man couldn't exactly tell if she was being serious or not.

"How do you know?"

"I've seen some weird stuff."

"Were you ever attacked by a real-life monster?" asked Patricia with some skepticism. Surely Travis was only playing around and trying to make her feel better.

"Yeah." Travis answered. Involuntarily, he shuddered, recalling scenes from the castle of Krampus. He would never be able to get over that. He still had nightmares.

The woman in the passenger seat looked over at him curiously. Travis wasn't much of a talker, so she was left with trying to figure him out based on his face and movements. There seemed to be a bit of a shift from his usual calm, but she had no idea what that was supposed to mean. The boxer leaned back in her seat and averted her gaze toward the road ahead.

"That sucks." She said. With that, things returned to awkward, looming silence. It hung in the air like thick smog as neither of them could think of anything to say. Both were deeply disturbed by memories of their own attacks, and while they did want to talk it out, didn't know how, especially since they didn't know if the other was truly aware of the supernatural. Before long, however, Travis had to say something.

"Which way was it agai-"

_BAM!_

He averted his eyes from the road for a split second, and out jumps a human figure, crashing into the hood of his car. The author slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a complete halt. Both of them looked out of the back window, completely unable to say a word. They were sweating, shaking, and overall stunned. Travis just hit someone. He quickly unbuttoned his seatbelt and opened the car door, stepping out in order to see if the person was alright.

"Hey!" he called. "Can you hear me? Don't move, let be call an ambulance!" the author instructed, digging in his pockets for his cellphone. Despite his suggestion, he saw movement illuminated by the red brake lights on the back of the vehicle. Immediately, he stopped digging as the person stood up, bloodied and wheezing. Travis' jaw dropped at the sight and his eyes widened. The person he hit looked just like the girl seated in his car.

He looked to Patricia, who looked back at him with a terrified expression on her face, before looking back again. The man was flabbergasted. The imposter took a step toward him, but he didn't move. He was completely frozen.

"_Travis!"_ yelled the boxer from the passenger seat. She was frantic. Thank goodness, it seemed to snap the Sullivan back to his senses. "Get back in the car!"

Quickly, he did as instructed, not even bothering to buckle his seatbelt again after slamming the door shut. He stomped on the gas petal and took off, leaving the imposter to try to futilely chase them. Thank God, it didn't seem to have some kind of bizarre, supernatural speed or anything. They flew down the street, Travis grabbing the wheel with a death-grip and Patricia digging her nails into the upholstery.

The boxer was terrified- more so than Travis, even. She was too scared to cry and too scared to utter a single sound. What was that?! How did it find her?! What did it want?! The woman had no answers to any of these questions, but Travis seemed to have an idea of what he was doing.

He drove nearly all the way across town, creating a massive amount of distance between them and the shape-changer. When the car came to a halt again, it was in a well-lit area. It was silent, except for the sound of the car's motor and the panicked breaths of the two young adults. The two sat in this anxiety-ridden quiet, shaking almost violently before one of them finally said something.

"What was that?!" Travis blurted out, losing his calm composure. When the girl jumped at his outburst, however, tensing up at the loud noise, he softened again. That was what attacked her, wasn't it?

"I'm sorry for yelling." He said, adjusting his tone. Once again, he started digging for his cellphone. "You just try to calm down, and I'll get us help."

Patricia looked over at him, confused as to what he was going to do. He wasn't going to leave her alone in the car, was she? What if they hadn't lost the imposter, and it appeared while he was gone? Tears fell from her eyes again as she feared for the worst.

"Remember those '_detective friends'_ of mine?" Travis questioned, pulling his phone out of his pocket and scrolling through the contacts. "The ones who I based the characters in my story off of? They actually deal with stuff like this all of the time. I'm going to call them, alright?" His friend nodded and he offered a reassuring smile before pressing the dial button. Travis took a deep breath in order to calm his nerves before placing the phone up to his ear.

"_Hey, Ciel? It's me."_

* * *

**A/N: Well, shit...  
**

**Lots of Travis! That's odd. Does this feel odd to you? Like,_ I've_ known his character this whole time, but it's kind of odd seeing it in words, finally. **

**I keep tying to type "Patty" in the narration, so it might've slipped in there a few times. Y'all started calling her that in the reviews and on Tumblr, so I just kinda adopted it, too, I guess. **

**Also they're being shipped. That was fast. Like, shockingly so. Did not see that coming. **

**More demonic duo in the next chapter, so until then, my duckies~!**


	61. Monsters Aren't Real

"Time for work!" Alois cheerfully declared as he hastily put on his boyfriend's coat.

"That's mine." The Phantomhive stated, knowing that it was futile to try and retrieve his coat from the menace. Instead of arguing, he simply grabbed Alois' coat from where it rested draped over the back of the sofa and put it on. "If you like it so much, then why don't you just keep it?"

"I can't. If I do that, then the scent will wear off, which defeats the whole purpose. It's gotta be refreshed often, Pooch." Replied the Macken. With that, he started heading out the door. "C'mon! We've got a shape-shifting supernatural murderer to catch!"

"You are having _way_ too much fun right now." Spoke the watchdog, quickly following after him. They both hurried downstairs and headed toward the car, only to be stopped by a slightly drowsy Luka.

"Big brother, where are you going?" the boy asked, rubbing his eye. It was almost time for him to be going to bed, so he knew it was odd for the duo to be heading out at this hour. Immediately, Alois paused before crouching down to the younger Macken's level.

"We've got to go to work because of a little emergency." He said, ruffling his brother's hair. "Don't you worry about it, though. We'll be back real soon, m'kay?"

"Okay." Luka answered with a nod. He knew his sibling's work was important, so he couldn't complain. The blonde menace smiled and kissed the boy on the cheek before standing up again and heading toward the door, walking backwards on his way out.

"Bye~! I love you~! Night, Luka~!"

"G'night~!" the brunet replied with a grin, waving as the eldest of the Macken brothers scurried out the door with the Phantomhive Watchdog in tow.

The duo got in the car and got strapped in. Ciel pulled up a GPS app on his cellphone and punched in the address that Travis had given them before they took off down the road. Down the driveway, through the gate, and off they went in pursuit of not only Patricia's attacker, but a murderer.

The lights on the city streets flickered, illuminating the inside of the car as they passed by. Ciel looked out for Travis' car as Alois drove, listening to the directions spoken to them by the app on the bluenette's phone. Eventually, they saw it, with two people sitting inside of it. Travis opened the car door and stepped out as the demonic duo pulled up and parked beside him. The two then stepped out to greet him.

"Hey." Called Alois, shutting the door. "Heard you got a shape-shifter problem."

"I don't know what it is." The Sullivan replied. "Whatever it was, it attacked my friend, here, not once, but _twice_."

"All of the other victims in our case had died at the scene of their attack." Ciel stated, leaning so that he could look at the girl in the human's vehicle. "She got away, so it's probably going to try and finish the job so it can replace her."

"They say that those who meet their doppelganger will surely die." Spoke the menace, peering in as well. He offered the girl a thumbs up. "Don't worry, though, we won't let that happen. This thing couldn't even chase your car, so it sounds totally weak."

"What are you talking about?" asked the frightened girl, confused. "Wait, did you say 'shape-shifter'?"

"Yeah, we've been looking for one for a couple of days." The Macken bluntly stated. "Have you seen any? They're tricky to catch."

"You're joking…." Patricia murmured, her eyes staring intently at the blonde as she tried to read him. It was understandable for her to be wary. These things weren't supposed to exist after all, and she didn't want to make a fool of herself for believing in something so childish. No one in their right mind would believe her story unless they saw it for themselves.

_ "'Fraid not."_ The blonde said, resting his hand on top of the car.

"You're going to have to tell us what happened." Ciel said, stepping in. "We deal with _'unnatural'_ occurrences like this quite often, but we still need to act with caution."

"Why? We're just gonna kill it in the end…"

_"Jim." _The Phantomhive said scoldingly, looking up at the menace. His singular eye turned back to the girl for a moment as he waited for an answer.

Was this happening? These two were exactly as Travis described, both in appearance and personality. More importantly, however, what was that part about dealing with this bizarre sort of thing "often"? Also, what's this about killing it? Surely they were joking. They were joking or they were insane. Travis claimed to be good friends with them, so surely they couldn't be that bad. Unless of course, Travis was insane too.

"I don't think she quite believes what she saw, Ciel." Spoke the blonde, straightening his back and leaning against Travis' vehicle. "If your hunch is correct, though, it shouldn't matter. It's gonna come back eventually, so we'll just have to hang around."

Patricia tensed up at the statement. This was far from over. She knew that they were right. If she really did see what she thought she did, it was definitely going to come back and finish her off. No matter how she didn't want to believe it, and no matter how badly she wanted this all to be some bad dream that she'll wake up from at any second, what happened, happened. There was no denying it. The Ramirez woman hung her head, trying to find the ability to speak.

"_It has my face…"_ she said in a hushed tone. Her voice sounded strange. "It didn't when I first saw it, but then it grabbed me and… and…"

"…And it took on your appearance." Ciel concluded, standing up straight. "don't worry, we'll get rid of it. Jim is right, though. The best way to find it is to stick around for a bit."

"It probably won't come if we're all just hanging out like this." The blonde pointed out. "There's too many of us. There's no way it'll come out of hiding like this."

"In that case, we'll need a plan…" the watchdog trailed off, rubbing his chin as he pondered. His eyes wandered around the scene, his brows furrowing and unfurrowing as he thought about the information they had. Soon, a small smirk appeared on his face.

_ "I've got it."_

* * *

**A/N: Got what?  
**

**You'll see.**

**I'm curious what you guys can come up with, so tell me what you think they're gonna do. If I like it, maybe I'll change the plan...**

**Ah... No more character shet? Have we finally exhausted every question? **

**Damn, that was quick. Surely you've got some way to make the characters uncomfortable somewhere up your sleeves...**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**


	62. Twinsies

Patricia walked up the steps of her apartment building, obviously in a bit of a daze. It had obviously been a long night and climbing several flights of stairs really didn't help. She just wanted to get to her apartment and relax, but the night wasn't over yet. There was still much to do.

When she got to the door of her flat, she reached out and grabbed the knob, only to find that the door was locked. Seeing as though she didn't have her keys, she had no way in. Patricia knocked on the door despite the fact that she lived alone and there was no one to answer. She knew this, yet she still whole-heartedly expected someone to be on the other side.

Thus, she assumed a fighting stance and waited. She waited for whoever it was on the other side of the door to open it and let her in. Sweat accumulated at her brow as she heard the lock begin to turn. Just a few more seconds. The doorknob slowly began to turn.

BAM!

A fist made harsh contact with flesh as it shot through the door frame. Patricia was sent flying and crashed into the wall behind her. Clutching at her face, she looked up and glared at the door while blood dripped between her fingers. The person there was someone whom she hadn't expected, and someone who she didn't recognise at all.

"Evenin'." Spoke the blonde menace, casually placing his hands in his pocket and looking down at the girl with a smirk. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the girl who lives here? Yeah, we hid her. There's no way you'll be able to get to her, either, _Doppelganger."_

"I don't know what you're talking about…" spoke the imposter, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

"The real Patricia is at my house, where you can't get her." Alois stated. "By the way, that punch I gave you would have cracked a normal human's skull. You're obviously some kind of freak, while the real Patricia is obviously human. Try harder."

Gritting their teeth, the shape-shifter scowled at the revelation. They really didn't take kindly to being called out. As the blonde took a step forward, however, they also realised that they didn't like the atmosphere emitting from the man. It wasn't normal. Thus, they decided to make their escape.

Suddenly, the doppelganger's skin started to bubble and glow. The blood that had dripped from their nose was gone and its injury healed. Alois had touched it when he punched it. The doppelganger's figure changed from female to male, and their clothes changed to match the blonde's as well. The pigment in their hair and skin lightened, and their green eyes turned icy blue. Now, Alois was staring himself in the face!

The faux-menace scrambled to his feet and darted down the hallway, only to have the real one follow him. They were fast. It even surprised the doppelganger! It was at that moment that the imposter realised that Alois was in fact, inhuman as well. Smirking, he saw a window at the end of the hallway. The doppelganger then jumped, thrusting his legs outward and kicking the glass. It shattered and he was suddenly free falling above the streets of London.

It was only three stories. That was nothing to the blonde menace, therefore it was now nothing to the doppelganger! He landed on his feet, disregarding the shards of broken glass at his feet and on his person. He straightened his back and looked up at the menace who had only stopped at the window, smirking at his new power. The true menace looked down at him, placing both hands on the windowsill.

"Tch." Alois clicked his tongue with disapproval, watching as his lookalike darted away. He had to act fast, so he leaped out the window as well, landing in a similar spot in relation to where the doppelganger had before him.

This was bad. He had to find Ciel quickly and rethink the plan. He should have blown a hole in the creature's head when he had the chance. It was too late now. They had his face, and there was no doubt that they were going to use it. Quickly, the Macken had to make it to where Ciel was hiding in case he needed backup. For all he knew, it was already too late.

Thank goodness, Ciel hadn't been reached before one of the two had shown up. He was right in the alleyway where the blonde had left him, and he was alone. The bluenette looked up at him with a surprised expression before it shifted into his usual one.

"That was fast." The Phantomhive stated. "Did you take care of it?"

"No." Alois panted, shaking his head. "It got away. It took my shape and ran off. I was going to run after it, but I had to make sure that you were alright. Sorry…" The blonde looked down at that last part. He had felt somewhat guilty about his actions, but there was no going back now. The bluenette, however, only smiled.

"That's alright. At least they won't go after Patricia anymore, and judging by the looks of things, we have some data on how they work." Ciel replied. "Come on, let's talk about it in the car. It's _freezing_."

"Maybe you should get a better coat." The blonde teased, following the bluenette to the Mercedes. He crawled into the driver's seat and ignited the engine, turning on the heater so that they could warm up. The temperature was dropping outside, and it certainly wasn't the weather to be performing a stakeout in. "So, what's the plan?"

"We go back to the manor." The Phantomhive said. "We'll tell Patricia what happened in the morning and send her home. We'll also contact H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to search for your 'twin'."

"Sounds good to me." Stated the fair-haired man. He then proceeded to put the car in gear and take off.

He had to admit, he was a little shaken. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way, after all. A sigh of relief escaped him as he was glad that his "twin" didn't make it to the Phantomhive boy first. Who knows what would have happened?

Occasionally, he would glance over at the bluenette, and eventually, he discovered the boy to be on his cellphone. The screen illuminated his face, making it more visible in the dark. Ciel was pretty, the blonde had to admit. The Phantomhive had long eyelashes and pretty eyes, a cute nose and an overall cute face. Before long, the blonde was staring, causing the bluenette to look up.

"_Alois, the road." _

"Huh?" the blonde asked before jumping. "Oh, shit!" Icy blue eyes focused themselves on the road in front of them, and the fair-haired man corrected their course. He almost swerved into the other lane, he was so distracted. It wouldn't have been the first time.

"Sorry…" the blonde said. "Who're you texting?"

"Sebastian." Answered the Phantomhive. "I've got to let him know what we're going to do so he can tell Patricia."

"Ah, I see." The blonde said. While his response was unfazed, it contradicted what he was actually feeling. His head felt foggy and he had trouble focusing. His eyes kept wanting to wander over to the bluenette. His cheeks heated up to the thought, somehow. When Ciel was finally done with his phone, he placed it back in his pocket before the blonde took the opportunity to grab his hand.

"Sorry…" he said. Why did he feel the need to apologise?

"It's alright." Ciel assured, but his face heated up as well. This was not good.

"Hey Alois," he called, alerting the blonde's attention. "Turn left up here. There's a shortcut."

* * *

**A/N: Hmmmmmnnnn... Not as long as I wanted it, but it's an update, I guess.  
**

**I still wanted a lot more from this arc, though. Oh, well. It's not over yet. **

**Questions?**

_**"Hey, Duckie Queen, if DLTD continues far enough, or if you just skip to when they're older, do you think Luka would start helping the guys on their missions?" by KatieKaboom713**_

**Actually, Luka is still not 100% sure of what they do. He knows they solve murders, but he doesn't know that they violently kill people, too. I dunno if he would want to. I know he's killed people in the past, but it was a little bit different. He never had to pull a trigger or smash somebody's head in. Maybe when he's older...**

_**"Hiya Hate how are yah? I was actually curious about something mentioned before. Can vampires actually have children?" by Guest**_

**Not by themselves. Their gametes (sperm/ovum) are perfectly functional, but the vampiric uterus is not. That's because they don't menstrate. It would be really problematic for a vampire to bleed that much monthly, since blood is kind of their lifeforce and all... It would be possibld if only the father was a vampire, but then, the baby will kill the mother if that is the case. They'll either drain the body of all of it's energy, or eat the mother from the inside out. **

**Gross.**

**You could probably grow them in a lab though.**

**Until the next chapter, my duckies~!**

* * *

_**CHARACTER SHET  
**_

_Question: **"question for Travis: what is the most physically attractive part of patty?"** by FanficceptionWriter_

_Travis' Answer: __"I dunno. She's just pretty. __She's got a pretty face, but it's hard to get a good look at it when I'm being punched."_

_0000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Travis: Why are you willing to go to such great lengths, like almost breaking you nose, just for the sake of writing a book? Bailey Jr.: What are your opinions so far on Ciel and Alois?"** by Guest_

_Micheal's Answer:__ "__They're horrible."_

_Travis' Answer:__ "I dunno. __Maybe so I can stop having nightmares about monsters..."_

_000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Ciel and Alois, if you were in an alternate universe, let's say a merman AU, who would be the prince and who would be the merman?"** by HappyHues_

_Ciel's Answer:__ "I have no idea..."_

_Alois' Answer:__ "Well, if it were an alternate universe, I don't think __we'd have control over that. I guess Ciel is sort of 'Prince-like' though... That is, when he's not being a total nerd."_

_000000000000000000000000_

_Question: **"Question for Travis) Solo, what do you think of Patricia? Do ya like her? Hmm? *wriggles eyebrows* Another question! Luka) when Alois and Ciel left in this chapter, did you go back to bed like a good boy?"** by MittyLeAmpharos_

_Travis' Answer: "No, we're just friends. I only met her about two weeks ago, after all!"_

_Luka's Answer: "Yeah. I can't stay up because Sebastian will make me go to bed if I try. He's not as nice about it as Jim is."_


End file.
